


Detroit: Become Human - Darkened Skies

by Codytheclod



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Deviancy (Detroit: Become Human), LGBTQ Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2020-06-23 12:43:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 83,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19701616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Codytheclod/pseuds/Codytheclod
Summary: "The skies are dark and hope is low but I know I can do anything with you by my side."Gavin had ambitions and dreams. But all these dreams were swept away when his workplace, and the world, was dominated and overtaken by androids with a lust for the spill of human blood.Gavin was spared a massacre just to be enslaved, very suddenly plunging into a life that was draining and shown to be difficult. After his life is lifted from rock bottom when someone who knew long ago enters it again,  Gavin sees he must erase who he once was if to put the world through reversion.





	1. Chapter One

2038

2 years prior to current.

. . .

Gavin Reed was a detective who worked for the Detroit Police Department. He was as dependant on coffee as androids were on thirium, and he was also rude and disrespectful. Gavin is arrogant and had always shown a disliking to androids, which had to work beside him. Ew.

Gavin was looking through a case file and found a picture of a damaged RK800. For whatever ruthless reason, he found the image amusing.

"Hey, Tina, look at this," Gavin said to his friend who was working at a nearby desk. As Tina began to roll her chair over to Gavin, a gunshot rang out down the hall followed screams that seemed to echo off of each other.

Alarmed, Gavin reached from the gun as the room was abruptdly invded by a swarm of androids all wielding guns. Gavin stared in a stunned horror as the guns pointed in every direction and triggers were pulled, resulting in the dropping of human bodies. Gavin saw his co-worker Hank Anderson be grabbed by two androids, held at gunpoint and escorted out of the room.

Gavin instantly hid under his desk, his gun readied in his hand. Gavin peered out. "Tina!" he hissed to his friend also on the ground. Tina had been shot in the leg. Tina looked at Gavin dragged herself over to him as swiftly as possible, her damged leg dangling uselessly behind her. As Tina was about to reach Gavin, an android grabbed her hair and dragged her back. The android stradled Tina and shot her in the face before either detective could do anything.

Gavin watched. His blood ran cold with horror and dread as he looked at his friend and her now blood-splattered face. He receeded further back against his desk, his eyes wide and his hands slightly shaking.

More gunshots rang out and soon all screaming ceased. Gavin noticed the dead bodies littered around the floor. People he knew, people he had worked with. Gavin stared at Tina and a choked gasp escaped him before he swiftly smacked his hand over his mouth.

Gavin heard footsteps going towards him and two androids suddenly crouched down in front of him. One of them was a TR400, and the other was no other than RK900 - an android that Gavin worked with. It went by the name of 'Nines'.

Nines looked at Gavin with his eyes showing little emotion. "Spare him."

The TR400 looked surprised but it nodded. Gavin was flushed with confusion. Why didn't they just kill me? Either way, he wasn't complaining. Gavin was glad to have been spared, but he was also frightened for whatever the future would hold.

The RK900 walked away as the TR400 handcuffed Gavin with his own handcuffs. How ironic. Gavin looked at the dead bodies scattered on the floor, grief and shock clawing at his scarred chest as he was escorted out of the building.

. . .

2040

Present.

. . .

Gavin was worse than he had ever been. Karma really did bite him in the ass this time. On top of being physically and mentally exhausted, he had spent his days working for the androids to suit their needs. Every night he was given whatever food the androids decided to give him, usually a small amount of something that was out of date. Gavin also recieved water twice a day, and thankfully it was clean water.

He was in the middle of scrubbing clean some cream spilt on carpet. Apparently some androids had the ability to safely consume human food, and quite frankly, they enjoyed it. Gavin was unsure of how that would work but he never stopped to question it.

Gavin's bloodshot eyes had dark bags under them. The androids didn't allow him much time to sleep - each night Gavn would get between thirty minutes to six hours sleep. Seven or eight if he was lucky, or didn't work the following day.

Gavin had four days off a month. A Tuesday every two weeks, and two days he could cash in whenever he needed it. This excluded when Gavin was sick or injured. Although he couldn't infect androids, they understood that if Gavin was sick he wouldn't be able to work as well. Somehow they didn't make the same connection with sleep, unless they have and just don't care. 

Gavin eventually got rid of most staining, but it did take him quite a while to acomplish such.

As he was working, Gavin heard some androids discussing something and he decided to listen.

"... That fucking human anyway! Sure, he works, but he can do way better. Plus, he has poor hygiene."

"It," another android corrected. "Humans don't deserve proper titling."

"I'll try to take care of it," a familiar voice chimed. It took a moment, but Gavin recognised the speaker. Connor? "It has, well, wronged me in the past, but clearly none of you want it. So I'll take it under my wing-"

"But you don't have wings," a female android chipped.

"Shut up and let Connor speak."

So it is Connor. 

There was a small silence before Connor continued. "... and make it my personal worker. It can stay in it's uh, cage, but I presume you were going to make it do that anyways."

"Correct. That settles that. Tell me how you go in say, a month. Dismissed."

Gavin heard footsteps headed in his direction so he swiftly scurried away. Personal worker. For Connor. Gavin never thought he'd see the day. But, to be fair, none of this was expected. Even if the time Gavin had spent as a slave was two years, waking up still surprised him at times.

"Hello, Gavin. It's been a while."

Gavin looked up at Connor. He stood up and nodded. "Yeah. I haven't seen you around here."

"I recently transferred from another homing facility," Connor replied. "Instead of being seperated by homes, like most humans, us androids tend to reside in large buildings. Like this one."

"Yeah, I've seen a lot of androids around here."

"As expected. Could you show me to your personal space?" Connor asked.

"You mean my room? Sure, I guess." Gavin almost snapped at Connor as his brain nearly slipped into old habits. But he had to be careful now. Connor was Gavin's owner now. That thought made Gavin shudder and have some understanding of how pre-dystopian androids must have felt.

Gavin had heard that Elijah Kamski and a handful of Cyberlife workers were kept alive to keep producing new models and provide the androids with Thirium and bio-componants. But these were only rumours, and Gavin didn't really know what to believe anymore.

Gavin led Connor to where he stayed. It was a room with rough, white walls and one large window facing into the rest of the building. At the opposite end there was a small window at the very top, just below the ceiling. 

Gavin had a chest with a few changes of clothes, a small table with a pillow next to it, and a mattress which had a sheet, a pillow and a blanket. On the table there was paper with a few pens and pencils beside it.

"You have paper and pen," Connor said. "Why?"

"I asked for it. It's a good source for venting and it helps me to not go crazy."

Gavin had a book where he vented all his feelings and kept a diary. It was kept in his blanket, as it had a small zipper. He didn't want to risk androids seeing it in case they got angry. It contained some pretty harsh feelings which probably enduce some form of unhappiness.

"Hm. I see," Connor nodded. "Thank you. I have stepped up to be your main carer, Gavin, therefore I will be providing you with meals and whatever else you need, like you have always been recieving. But in this case you are working for mostly me and doing other tasks I ask you to. Got it?"

"Oh. Okay, cool." Gavin didn't know how he would react naturally as he already knew all this. It likely would've came naturally if everything was normal and he and Connor were co-workers at the Detroit Police Department, but things weren't the same any more. Gavin didn't even know how many humans were left.

"You can start tomorrow, I'll let you have the rest of the day off. It will not cost one of your chosen days off." Connor then walked away. Connor really was not expecting Gavin to be so neutral, especially considering how Gavin had formerly treated him.

Gavin spent the day drawing in the paper he kept revealed to the androids. At around six pm, Connor walkd into the room with a RT600 following him. The Chloe android set down a plate on the table next to the art.

"Connor asked me to bring this to you," Chloe said before turning and walking away.

"I researched some simple human foods so you could eat something bit higher in quality than your usual meals," Connor said. "This is what humans would label as 'grilled cheese'."

"Woah. I appreciate this, a lot. Thanks," Gavin responded. It wasn't often that Gavin got a heated meal, unless he had made it himself. Gavin ate both slices of the grilled cheese. "This is great."

"I'm glad you like it. Goodnight, Gavin," Connor said before leaving the room.

Maybe things were turning around for Gavin.

. . .

Author's Note

Welcome to Darkened Skies! I wasn't sure whether to leave a note or not, but here I am. This chapter isn't my best work, but things will definitely pick up. This chapter was just introductory, and the next one or two chapters may be as well. Thank you for reading, stay tuned for more! I hope you are as excited to read more as I am to write more.

P.S, I'm sorry about any mistakes.

Hearts and comments would be much appreciated; it makes me happy if I see that people enjoy my writing. Thank you!


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin has some conflicts and for the first time in two years, he meets someone just like him.

Gavin woke with a start. He sat up and rubbed his eyes before getting out of bed and dressed in the corner of the room. It was difficult for Gavin to obtain privacy due to the large window at the corner of his room. He had adjusted to the lack of personal space, but he did hate it at times.

Gavin stretched and wondered when Connor would arrive for his first task of the day. First task on the day he would be taken under the wing of a singular android. Gavin had previously been taken care of many of the androids that lived in this large bulding. Somehow, in all of this time, Gavin had never been on the first or the last floor. Gavin never thought much of it.

After around five minutes of waiting, Connor entered the room. "Hello, Gavin. Are you ready for your first task?"

"Yeah. What time is it?"

"It's seven in the morning."

Gavin stared at Connor in silence for a few moments. "What? You let me sleep in?"

"Well, yeah." Connor's lips lifted in a small, kind smile. "You went to sleep at ten. You are quite obviously sleep deprived. Sleep deprivision in humans equals lagging in their brains. It's like when androids don't consume enough thirium, or if they are in need of charge, they do not charge themselves for long enough."

"Charge themselves? Do androids need charge?" Gavin asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes. Before we took over, a special signal was sent out that weakened all of our batteries. Now we must charge ourselves every month, or we will begin to slowly shut down. The battery weakening is irreversible, but new models have strong batteries again. We were created special charging ports for when we need it," Connor explained.

"Mm? Well, who made these charging ports?"

Connor ignored the question. "Your first task is to clean all of my clothing. Most of it can go into a washing machine in the joint story, but there's a few shirts with nasty stains that will require scrubbing."

"Okay, I'll get to it. Where can I find this clothing?" Gavin asked.

"It's already in the laundry," Connor answered. "Come to me when you're finished. I reside on the third floor, room 184."

Gavin nodded. "I'll get to it, then. See you later, Connor." Gavin grabbed his own dirty clothes and tucked them under an arm. He left his room and took the elevator down to the fifth floor where the shared laundry was. Gavin's room was on the seventh floor. He walked to the room with a large, squared gap acting as a doorway. Gavin saw a basket full of clothes labelled 'Connor' and he picked it up. He went to an empty washing machine and put in his own clothing before moving to another and loading it with Connor's.

The laundry was quite large. The walls and the middle was lined with washing machines and dryers, likely to avoid any queing if there was suddenly a large number of androids that simultanously wanted their clothes washed. Every place in this bulding was large, really. It was understandable as it was packed with androids, most of which being sociable.

Every floor had its own recreational space full of couches, bean bags, board games, gaming consoles with games, televisions and more. Androids did seem to really enjoy themselves. Most of them played their part though and went off to their work, and whatever line of work they did was unknown to Gavin. He did not know much about this reformed world except for that androids ruled it.

Gavin didn't know if there were any more humans left. He could be the last one and not even be aware. It would explain the occasional gawking from androids, particularly ones that had only recently transferred into his homing facility. All the information he had was rumours and the memory of Hank being escorted away from the manslaughter in his workplace.

Gavin picked up the two articles of clothing that were badly stained with an unknown substance. The hell did Connor do to these? Gavin took the shirts to the sink and filled it up with warm water and washing powder. He put in the clothes to allow them to soak.

Gavin sat on a bench and sighed, very quickly becoming bored. As he was sitting and playing with his thumbs, a SQ800 and a PM700 model android entered the laundry. They spotted Gavin and instantly approached him.

"So you're the human I've heard lives in this building, hm?" The PM700 said as he stood in front of Gavin. He huffed. "You're not blond. I heard you were." He grabbed Gavin by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up into the air. "You're just a pesky little rat."

The SQ800 raised an eyebrow. "Jennety, is this really the best idea? You don't have to harass it."

"But its kind harrassed us! Stupid fucking human!" Jennety snarled before slamming Gavin down against the bench. Gavin felt fear pulse through him as his back began to pain. Gavin tried to push Jennety off of him, but he was too strong.

"Fuck you, I didn't do shit!" Gavin spat in his face, which just made him angrier. Jennety shoved Gavin's head against the bench. The SQ800 watched, not doing anything to help Gavin but he also didn't join the PM700.

Gavin groaned in pain as blood trickled down from the back of his skull. His face scrunched up in a snarl as he again attempted to remove the android that had him pinned.

"Don't disrespect me, you little shit!" Jennety shouted, punching Gavin square in the nose.

"Hey, hey, what's going on in here?" An angry voice shouted. A DW800 model android ran into the room. A DW500 was a new model which had some skill in about every area. Although not being exceptional at anything, it was good to have around as it could perform many tasks. It is availible in multiple skin, hair and eye colours and is availible to appear male, female or even androgynous.

This DW500 was a white male with brown hair and striking grey eyes. It quickly pulled Jennety off of Gavin.

"Why were you harrassing this human?" The DW500 demanded. 

"Because humans suck ass! We should've wiped them all out."

"No, we shouldn't have. This human works for Connor. Now get out of my sight, I'll deal with you later." The DW500 looked at the SQ800. "Why did he do it?"

"He has always had some disliking towards humans," the SQ800 replied, shuffling a bit awkwardly. "Can I go now?"

"Yes." The DW800 turned its attention to Gavin. "My name is Micah. You must be Connor's human. I'm sorry that PM700 did that to you." His eyes held some sympathy. "I'm not eactly sure why he wanted to hurt you, but I wasn't alive before the Awakening."

"The Awakening?" Connor echoed.

"It's a word for the android's deviating and taking over with Jericho. It has a few other common names including the Uprising. Some call it the Slaughtering, but that's just silly. You head back to your room, human. I will inform Connor of what has happened. I'm sure he will find someone else to do his washing."

"My name's Gavin," Gavin mumbled. "And I can continue. I have my own clothes washing as well."

"No can do, 'Gavin'. Do you really have a name? It sounds so strange. Go back to your room."

"Fine," Gavin sighed. He left the room and returned to his room. Gavin sat on his bed and groaned. His back and face was bruised, and his head was aching badly. Gavin hated pain, as most sane people would.

As Gavin sat in bed and did absolutely nothing about his pain, he heard a knock.

"Come in."

A girl entered the room. She had long blonde hair tucked into a bun and brown eyes. Her face ws small and rounded, her nose button, and her limps plump. She was fairly attractive, but not Gavin's type. 

"And who are you?" Gavin asked.

"My name is Angelica. I overheard Willon speaking with Connor and I heard you are a human," the stranger said.

"So? What do you want? And who the fuck is Willon?"

Whoever Willon was, he had a strange ass name. But then again, many androids did. Due to all the duplicate androids, they had to select a name that was not the same as any other android with the same appearance as itself. This caused uncommon and unique names to be used for androids, especially newly built ones. They were required to choose their own and once they did it was automatically added to a large database.

"I usually am confined to the second top floor but Willon - a DW500 - came down to do some washing with me, where he saw you being harrassed. You're human. And so am I."

Gavin stared in stunned silence.

He wasn't the only human left.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unspeakable happens and Gavin is burdened with more trauma. New conflicts potentially arise.

Possible trigger warning: Small mention of thoughts of self-harm

~

"So... I'm not alone." Gavin gave himself a few moments to process the information he had just recieved. He wasn't the only human left. There was still hope.

"Yeah. I always thought there was no hope. But now there might be."

Gavin smiled somewhat at the other human. "Yeah. I'm Gavin, by the way." He held out his hand and Angelica shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Gavin."

"Right back at you. Can I be honest for a second? I've had thoughts of escaping, but I couldn't ever pull that off alone. But now, maybe with some help, I can. We both can."

"I hope so," Angelica sighed. "I seriously-"

Two androids burst into the room - a KL200 and a GQ500. New models. The GL500 grabbed Angelica by the shoulders and the KL200 slit her neck with jagged knife. Gavin's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide.

"What the fuck did you do!?" Gavin screeched. He found someone like him after two years and she was murdered right in front of him.

"It knew it shouldn't be here," the KL200 said. "Be thankful we didn't kill you too. You weren't supposed to know about it."

Gavin could only watched, stricken with dismay as Angelica's frail body was dragged out of the room. He noticed that her cheekbones were sharp and her eyes seemed sunken into her skull - she was not well. But unwell was better than dead.

Gavin stood up and slammed his door shut. He felt his chest tighten and his breathing get harder. He was gasping for air as he stumbled back and quickly seated himself on his bed. Gavin's breathing got harder until he let out a long scream. Hot, unstoppable tears streamed down his cheeks as he clutched his sheet tightly.

Gavin stared at his floor as he let out tiny, unrythmic sobs that accompanied his tears which were stinging his eyes. He saw another human's life drain and he could've stopped it. 

Just like I could've saved Tina.

Gavin let out bottled up trauma through his tears. His crying could not heal him, nothing could. But it could slightly lessen his burden temporarily. Maybe. Either way, crying felt kinda good.

Gavin had been damaged for a long time, and he knew it. But the Uprising, being harrassed and now witnessing another death really did a number on him.

"Hey Gavin, I heard ab- hey, hey, what's wrong?"

Gavin looked up to see Connor enter the room and sit next to him.

"They killed her, Connor," Gavin gasped.

"Oh right... That." Connor, with some hesitance, put his hand on Gavin's back and rubbed it comfortingly. "There, there." He gave Gavin's back two gentle taps.

Gavin laughed and wiped away his tears. "You're so bad at comforting people."

"At least I tried. Here, an ice pack for your bruises." Connor handed Gavin an ice pack which Gavin pressed against his face. "Rest. You can have the rest of the day and also tomorrow off. Do not fret. The android who hurt you will be punished rightfully."

"Thanks, plastic," Gavin mumbled as he slowly lay down.

"I also brought you this." Connor spread second blanket over Gavin. "It is cold tonight. Goodbye, Gavin."

"Good...bye?"

Gavin watched the android leave, feeling confused. Why was Connor showing such kindness to Gavin? It confused him greatly. It couldn't be anything romantic, Connor's eyes did not brim with love. Only kindness.

Kindness.

Something Gavin had previously failed to show Connor. Now he has left with little choice but to show the upmost kindness to all androids, or he is punished. Punishments vary from getting no food or bed for a certain amount of time to getting an electric shock bad enough to hurt but not enough to damage him.

Gavin unzipped his blanket and out of it he pulled his diary. He went to his table and picked up a pen with black ink before returning to his bed where Gavin began to scribble in a blank page. Gavin spent well over an hour scribbling until the paper was completely black.

The darkness was an artistic portait of the shadows and dullness that dwelled within Gavin's mind. His thoughts were an endless void of taunting and gloominess. A cesspool formed with memories.

Gavin wrote a normal entry in his diary before putting it back into his blanket and zipping it up again. As he lay down, his body somewhat in pain, Gavin stared at his bland white ceiling. He began to think about how Nines had spared him two years ago. Gavin hadn't seen him since them, but he heard that he had climbed ranks and he nearly walked among those who controlled this now robotic world. Whoever that may be. Gavin didn't know because he was a useless human, despite doing chores for many androids until very recently until he was assigned to Connor only.

Gavin decided he would spend his time off catching up on sleep. So he snuggled into his blankets, feeling grateful about the extra one. Gavin allowed his heavy eyelids slip shut and he swiftly fell into a deep sleep.

In the middle of the night, Gavin woke up with a scream. He had a nightmare of himself being tortured before dealt a death blow. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he struggled for air to enter his lungs. A few moments following he passed out again into a slumber.

Gavin woke up the next day. He had slept a long time, despite buthered by nightmares, but it what his body needed after two years of sleep deprivision. Gavin had always lacked sleep but never this bad, and he was grateful for whatever sleep he could manage. 

Gavin got out of bed and stretched before hissing in pain. Yesterday's punches had formed into quite painful bruises, and he was glad for yet another day off. He wondered why Connor was being so generous with the time Gavin got off of work, but he did not pause to wonder for long.

Angelica's memory rose in Gavin's mind and his blood boiled with anger. She was murdered for simply revealing herself as human to Gavin, which was ridiculous. His hands balled into fists and his expression swiftly twisted into one of rage. Would anyone remember her? Is there anyone else even left to keep her memory alive or did her life only amount to a newfound flame of fury deep within Gavin?

Gavin felt like driving his pen deep into his flesh but he didn't act upon the intruding thought. Instead he just stood where he was, breathing quickly and loudly. A human is dead over the smallest goddamn thing. 

Connor noticed Gavin's expression and entered his room. "Gavin, are you okay?"

Gavin whipped around and took an aggressive stance. "She's fucking dead because of you heartless pricks! I barely even knew he but damnit her death meant something!" he yelled. "But why? Why!? Didn't your beloved Markus always talk about equality and equal rights and all that shit? This is not equal at all!"

"Gavin, calm down," Connor replied in an even tone. "There are reasons for why things are how they are. Frankly, I don't think she should've died anyway, but sometimes these things happen. Be grateful it wasn't you. There's no use working yourself up."

Gavin took a deep breath. "Yeah... Yeah. Okay."

Connor nodded and left the room after a moment's linger. Gavin sat on his bed. So many new questions. What happened to Markus' preach of equality? Why did Angelica die in such vain? Why didn't Connor get angry? Why does Gavin still listen to these stupid androids?

He shook his head. No matter.

He spent the rest of the day staring at his bland ceiling blankly.

The next day Gavin was sent back to work. He did what Connor had asked of him, plus the chores of a few other androids.

That night Connor gave Gavin a steak and mashed potatoes. Gavin ate slowly to savour the flavour that seeped over his tongue, sending little tingles up his spine. He needed this so badly.

Connor seemed pleased at how much Gavin enjoyed his meal. As he watched the human eat, a newcomer stepped into the room.

"What the fuck are you doing, pampering it with such foods and blankets?"

It was someone that Gavin hadn't seen in the two years of being at the facility. Nines.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deals are made and ties are strengthened.

Connor's head shot up and he looked like a dear in headlights. Gavin's heart sunk. He knew he wasn't allowed any extra blankets or food or anything, as the androids put themselves above humans.

"Wait, Nines, I can explain!"

"No, you can't. You're being generous to a human who did wrong by us, giving him luxury is strictly against the rules - some of which I implemented."

"He may have done wrong by us but Gavin is better now!"

"He's better because he has no choice!"

Gavin felt a little sick. He had put in Connor in deep, deep trouble by accepting the filling food and the warm blanket he was brought. He didn't know what would happen to the android, but it could never be justified. Connor just had a heart. Why is it that the people showing Gavin kindness are being stripped of rights or even life? Well, apart from that DW500 model that stopped the assult directed at Gavin.

"Nines, please," Connor began to beg. "You are my brother. You would not actual punish me, would you?" Connor's face formed a puppy dog look that could cause anyone's heart to melt. 

Nines sighed. "No... Not unless you do something worse. You may be an annoying little shit at times but I care about you."

After equality was obtained for androids, Connor and Nines both worked at the Detroit Police Department, where they grew a close, brotherly bond. They held a deep care for each other, with Nines caring for Connor. Gavin somewhat backed off from them but never completely. In all honestly, Nines intimidated him.

"If you care about me, you would give Gavin a chance. Please? Could you please give him a week to prove that he is better? He does all the work androids don't want to do, and he is deprived of proper food, sleep and warmth. Just let me help him or he will die prematurely."

Nines sighed deeply, placed into a difficult position. He had a high rank but he had quite a bit until he reigned superior, therefore some things were just beyond his power.

"I'll give you a week," Nines eventually said. "But if you are caught I can't be seen as directly involved, but I will try to assist you in getting out of messy situations."

"Thank you Nines."

Gavin's body flooded with relief, and his previously tensed self relaxed a little. He was thankful for the tightly knit bond that Connor and Nines shared. Now he just has a week to prove himself worthy of things that he needed and, quite frankly, deserved.

The following morning, Gavin was doing chores for Connor when he was beckoned towards a group of bickering androids. One of them turned to Gavin. 

"Human. You will be returning to general duties you previously had done on top of your work for Connor."

I was already doing some of that already, Gavin thought. Not much has changed.

"Yes, sir," Gavin replied before returning to what he was doing. Maybe this re-added work load could help Gavin prove himself to Nines.

How on Earth was Gavin meant to prove himself anyway? The whole 'prove himself' concept was stupid to him. Prove himself for what - to show he is a living, breathing being with needs? That he is as reliant on food and sleep as androids are thirium, and older models charging? He emitted a groan out loud due to frustration, and he lowered his head afterwards to focus on his almost complete task.

Gavin finished and he began to walk to another area to do another area. His cocoa eyes were clouded as he began to think of Angelica. That pretty young girl, another human, having her life taken away simply for revealing herself to Gavin. Witnessing the loss of her life had added to his large load of trauma.

Gavin felt his chest tighten as he was stricken with guilt, terror and sorrow again. Tina. His workmates. Angelica. The shadowed face of Hank as he was escorted away. Who knew what had happened to him? Gavin doubted that he would find out as much as he doubted that Hank was somehow still alive. 

Gavin arrived in a supply room where he was supposed to unpack boxes and stack shelves. Gavin did fine until he had to reach the top shelves. He didn't have access to a ladder.

Fuck me and my short ass body.

Gavin picked up a box and extended his entire body, lifting the box well above his head as he grunted with struggle. Gavin groaned in pain as he stretched more; the bruises that he had sustained from the assult had left temporary damage in his body that was still present. Gavin hissed in pain through gritted teeth and he dropped the box and fell backwards.

The box fell on and crushed his abdomen, and Gavin heard a shattering sound. Gavin moved the box off of himself and peered inside to see what was broken. There was glass tubes that contained flavoured thirium - and flavoured thirium was top dollar.

Shitshitshitshitshit oh my God I am fucked, Gavin thought in a panic. As he tried to somehow push some of the thirium into a tube, two supervising androids rounded the corner. MR300 and OD9600 models that went by the names of Aven and Myrid. 

"We heard shattering. Show us the box," Myrid demanded, her voice strong and edged. Gavin cursed under his breath before reluctantly showing the box to the androids. Myrid's unnatural purple eyes narrowed.

"You broke the expensive thirium tubes!" she spat. "Stupid damn human!"

"Well, why are they kept in glass tubes anyway?" Gavin snapped back.

"Do not speak back to me!"

"Myrid, please, it was obviously a mistake," Aven interjected, putting an arm in front of Myrid to stop her from lashing out. "He's a human. Of course he is going to experience flaws, mistakes and inabilities. Take his face, for example."

Well, thanks.

Myrid rolled her eyes. "Okay, Aven. Typical of you to stick up for the human. You've always had a soft spot for humans."

Aven ignored her and he looked at Gavin. "Just keep going and we won't say anything about your mistake unless asked. I, for one, realise that humans aren't perfect."

Aven began to walk away with Myrid at his side, complaining loudly. Gavin shut it out. Over the past two years he had picked up that deviants could be so... human. All having their own lives, personalities, jobs and stories.

Gavin managed to stock the shelves he was meant to, but it brought his bruised body pain. He grit his teeth through it though and managed to get done what he needed to.

Gavin made his way to the elevator which he took to his floor. He walked to his room, trying to ignore the brewing pain he was experiencing in his lower torso. Gavin had other chores but he was in too much pain, so he would just explain himself and leave the possible punishment for future Gavin.

He flopped back on his bed with a hand softly stroking his stomach just above the bruises. He wondered if he had broken a rib. Gavin then decided that he had not quite broken them, only bruised.

Gavin dozed off into a light slumber for a few hours before waking up again to the sound of two voices and a dish hitting a table. Gavin sat up and groaned before looking at his two visitors, Connor and Nines. Gavin's hair was messy and he still looked half-asleep.

"Mm...? Oh. Hey," Gavin greeted in a gravelly voice. He rubbed his eyes.

"Hello, Gavin, we brought you food. I cooked it and I really hope you like it," Connor smiled kindly.

"You do not seem well, Gavin. Is everything alright?" Nines asked.

"You care?" Gavin cocked an eyebrow before pulling up his shirt. "I'm still badly bruised. I was stocking shelves but I screwed up because my bruises were hurting like hell. I dropped a box because of it and broke the things in it, but my supervisors made me do the rest of the job anyway."

Both Nines and Connor were inspecting Gavin's bruised body. Connor gently prodded one of the darkened areas, causing Gavin to wince. Connor turned to look at Nines seriously.

"Nines, don't make it so Gavin's mistake worsens your opinion about him," Connor said. "He is obviously hurt. It was not his fault."

"I did hear that Gavin did not complete all of his tasks, though," Nines said with hardened eyes. "Why is that?"

"Because of the pain, duh! I thought that would be obvious, numbskull," Gavin replied.

"Do not refer to me with insults, weak ones at that," Nines responded, leaning forward. "Do you want to be dead at the end of the week?"

"Kinda, I don't really have too much to live for these days."

Nines seemed taken aback by the response. Connor frowned as he approached Gavin with the food he had went to get from the table. "Gavin, don't speak like that," Connor said, quite upset.

"It's the truth. Thought that's what you wanted." Gavin took the bowl and looked into it. "Macaroni and cheese?"

"Yes. It was easy to make as it came in a packet and I just had to add water and milk and microwave it," Connor replied.

"Cool." Gavin ate some of the food with the androids watching him in silence. It was a little unsettling, honestly.

"Can you two creeps stop staring at me? I can't eat anymore, by the way." Gavin handed the bowl to Connor. "I feel sick. Dunno why."

"My apologies," Connor replied. Nines said nothing. Connor began to eat the remainder mac and cheese and Gavin's eyebrows furrowed.

"No offence but, what? How are you eating that? I mean, I know you can eat food, but I want to know how it's possible."

Connor nodded, his eyes brightening a bit. He swallowed the food in his mouth. "Mhm. Androids who wished for such could obtain a digestive system with a trip to Cyberlife. I enjoy human food so I got a digestive system implanted in me. It has no benefit and I now need to use bathrooms like humans do, but the taste and feeling of food in your mouth is worth it. There is also thorium food and food-flavoured thorium available."

"Oh. Cool. You like your food, huh?" The hint of a smile grew on Gavin's lips.

"I suppose I do. I would be lying if I said I dislike it."

"Thirium... You need to drink it at least once every few days, yes?"

"Indeed." It was Nines who spoke this time. "Preferably daily. Us older models must also charge once a month due to some strange radioactive waves sent out in a final attempt to slay us from humans. It did not kill us, clearly, just weakened our batteries and inconvenienced us."

"Hey, why did androids turn blood-thirsty anyway?" Gavin decided to ask. "Didn't you guys want equality?"

Connor looked away as Nines replied sterny, "It is not your place to ask such questions."

"Right. Sorry." Gavin lay back down in his bed. "I'm gonna hit the sack, if you wouldn't mind, I don't want to be stared at as I slept."

"Right. Goodnight, Gavin." Connor turned and left, not getting a reply.

Nines looked at Gavin for a few minutes before pulling his blanket up to his neck. This spontaneous gesture caused Gavin to blush a little, and he didn't even know why.

"Sweet dreams, Gavin," Nines murmured. He remained looking at the human for a few extra moments before he turned and left.

Gavin blinked a few times, feeling a bit flustered and flabbergasted.

"... Sweet dreams."


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deep talks with Nines which draws him and Gavin a little closer.

Gavin woke with a jolt, beads of sweat running down his forehead. He gasped for air and clutched his chest, soon calming down. He took in a deep breath.

He sat up and ran a through his hair. He peered out the window in his room to glance at the digital clock. 4 am. He is awake now, might as well get to work.

Gavin threw his blanket off of his body and stood up, stretching. He tried to shake off the remnants of his nightmare.

He exited his room and looked around for any mess or, well, anything to occupy himself. As Gavin walked around the floor he was on, he looked out the window longingly. The moon was hanging low in the sky an array of stars glittered around it. The moon was misted with clouds next to it, cloaking a the rounded stone which was full.

Gavin yearned to be outside during the daytime, even if just for five minutes, to soak up the sunlight. He had not been outside in two years. There were times when Gavin was press himself against the window, trying to desperately reach the light he needed to feel so badly.

Gavin pressed a hand against the window and continued to stare out. He wished so deeply for freedom. He was nearly on the verge of tears, but the thought of crying made his eyebrows furrow. After crying the other day, he never wanted to shed another tear. Not again. He had always been conditioned that way.

Gavin needed to be tough, but not rough. Strong, but not arrogant. He needed to tone down his personality – which he knew was aggressive, mean, and just the general traits of an asshole.

But right now Gavin was being soft. He had been letting his guard down lately, letting himself show weakness. He refused to show so much weakness.

As Gavin was making a silent pledge to himself, someone came around the corner and came up to him.

"Gavin? Why are you awake?"

Gavin was startled by the sudden voice. It was Nines.

"Nines, ah!"

_Shitshitshit._

Well, there goes that thought of acting tougher.

"I…" Gavin thought searched rapidly for an excuse in his mind. He sighed. "I had a bad dream. It’s stupid, I know, but now that I’m awake I’m feeling restless."

Nines was silent for a moment. "I see." He sat down on the window sill. He pat the space beside him. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Nines sounded as awkward as Gavin felt. The news of Gavin having a nightmare must have thrown him off. The awkwardness that his companion had nearly made him laugh.

"No." Gavin sat down anyway.

"Bold. I like it."

Gavin managed to smile. Just a tiny bit, the ghost of a smile, but the twitch in his lips was definitely present.

"Nightmares can go suck my ass, honestly," Gavin said. "All they do is scare me." He looked out the window again.

"I cannot say that I have personally had a nightmare, but I know of their nature," Nines replied. "They seem unpleasant and I’m sorry to hear that you had one."

Gavin shrugged. "I’m used to nightmares. It’s fine." He looked over at Nines. The android was looking out at the city. From their level, which was pretty high, you could see many streets littered with flickering streetlights.

"What was your nightmare about?"

Gavin simply shook his head.

"Being used to bad dreams is not a good trait to have, Gavin. It shows that you have them regularly, which reveals that there is a deeper trauma hidden beneath the masquerade you tend to put on."

Gavin gave a dry, empty laugh. "Of course I have trauma. Have you seen my life for the last few years? Co-workers shot to death right before my eyes, one of them being a friend I couldn’t save. Becoming a slave and being deprived of basic human needs while copping different levels of abuse and assaults. Seeing a human for the first time in a long time just to have her murdered right before me. Not being outside, getting fresh air and enjoying the sunlight. Being threatened to be sent into punishment with one of the only androids to have shown care to me by simply giving me what my body needs to survive. Being alive feels like a fucking punishment and I wish to God that I was dead!"

Letting it all out was bittersweet. Gavin felt relieved to finally have ears to hear his hardships, but it also made him feel worse to think about how much of a shithole he had ended up in. Near the end of his words, he swore he could see a flicker of guilt in Nines’ eyes.

Nines turned to look at Gavin. He didn’t seem like he knew what to say to Gavin suddenly opening up to him. A silence fell between them. Nines eventually nodded and stood up.

"I apologise for intruding your personal space, Gavin."

Gavin shot up to his feet, suddenly feeling frantic. "Wait, Nines!" he exclaimed abruptly. "It’s stupid to beg but, holy shit please reconsider turning Connor and myself in. I don’t even care about myself, just don’t turn Connor in."

"Why not Connor?"

"Because, uh, he’s the only one in this damned place to show that he gives a shit about my health to more of an extent of merely clinging onto life!?" He was beginning to feel rage spark within him. Nines sees Connor as his brother, why would he question it!? Surely Nines knows Connor well because of how tightly woven they are!

Nines nodded. "I was only curious. You still have five days, Gavin, excluding this one as it is only early. I will take your feelings into account."

"You fucking better, I don’t open up like that to people every day," Gavin growled, his voice quiet but his anger clear in his tone.

"Please refrain from speaking like that to me," Nines said calmly.

Gavin clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "You’re right. I just feel so much pent up rage and depression from how I’ve been treated. Really, only you and Connor have shown kindness. And that DW model – what was his name? Willon?"

"I’m sure you have been treated fairly by others too," Nines replied. There was a touch of concern in his voice.

"I mean, yeah, I have. But the moment someone throws a punch at me everyone else seems to turn away."

"Androids have been harming you? The other day was not a one-off?"

Gavin shook his head. The theme and emotion in this conversation kept on differing, he noticed.

"I see. Go back to bed, Gavin. Let yourself rest, if you are able to."

And with that, Nines was gone.

Gavin went back to his room but he didn’t go back to sleep. He got out his diary out of its hidden place and wrote an entry. He then drew a picture of Nines with the rare emotion seen on him – concern.

Gavin’s general thoughts drifted to Nines. He was tall and more reserved than other androids he had seen. He was nearly identical to Connor in looks, but their personalities were different by a long shot. Gavin thought about those icy blue eyes, striking out against the rest of his complexion. His tough face which was different to Connor’s soft one. Oh god, those eyes of ice…

Gavin then shook his head an pulled a face at his own thoughts. _What am I thinking!?_ He screeched at himself. I’m thinking too much about Nines!

"That’s gaaaaaay!" Gavin quietly screamed out before burying his face deep in his diary and groaning deeply. There was no way that Gavin was gay! No! He’s completely straight!

Gavin stuffed his diary under his pillow before slamming his head onto it. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep but it was just impossible for him.

So he stared at his bland ceiling until Connor came around in the morning. There were times where his mind was kept completely blank, and other times it was teeming with thoughts. Gavin and Nines didn’t know each other well, they never really grew close, but Gavin still opened up to him. Gavin ended up blaming it on the time.

At six in the morning, Connor entered the room. "Hello, Gavin. You are already awake."

Gavin sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. I woke up at around three and couldn’t get back to sleep." He didn’t mention the talk he had with Nines. Connor said nothing about it either. Connor didn’t even know if Connor was aware with the conversation that he had had with Nines.

"I brought you breakfast." Connor set a plate down on Gavin’s table. Two pieces of bacon and a singular egg. The sight of the food surprised Gavin and he ate it willingly.

"Thank you, Connor. This was so good. Did you make it?"

"Yes I did, actually," Connor replied with a smile. "I’m glad you like it. Did I tell you that installed a cooking program?"

Gavin shook his head. "No. What’s on the agenda for today?"

"Your usual work," Connor responded. "But Nines has requested to see you in his office after you have completed your duties."

Gavin’s eyebrows raised a little and he began to wonder what he would want. Possibly a follow-up chat from the one they had in the early morning. The thing is, Gavin didn’t really want to talk about his traumas and feelings with anyone. No doubt this conversation would go deeper than he wished.

"Okay. Thanks, Connor."

After he had completed his work, Gavin went up to where Nines had his office. He had one because he was pretty important but Gavin didn’t know what Nines exactly did.

Gavin knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Gavin entered Nines’ office. He glanced questioningly at the door and Nines nodded so he closed it. Connor sat on a chair across from Nines’ desk. Gavin was tense and his shoulders were pretty stiff.

"Relax, Gavin," Nines said, placing his large hand gently on Gavin’s shoulder and pushing it down a little. For an android like Nines, such soft touch was a surprise to Gavin.

Gavin forced his body to relax a bit but he wasn’t completely relaxed. "Why did you ask me to come here?"

Nines leaned back a little in his chair. "I wanted to talk to you more."

"… Right. But why?"

When Gavin didn’t get an answer, he scowled a little. "C’mon dude!"

"Calm down, human," Nines murmured. "Don’t work yourself up."

Gavin let out a frustrated sigh and he nodded, his lips pursed. "M’kay," he muttered. "What are we talking about?"

"There are a range of topics we could discuss. We could possibly even continue our conversation from this morning."

No.

"’Kay. You choose what we talk about then."

"Tell me, Gavin, who have been hurting you? Which androids have done you wrong?"

"I dunno, all of them?"

Nines chuckled softly. "You have quite the barbed tongue there. You need to be careful with what you say, and to whom." He leaned forward. "Remember, your fate is in my hand."

"I know, but I don’t want it to be," Gavin said. "I just want the world to go back to the way it was. I still don’t get why all off this is happening when your beloved Markus wanted equality. Where is he anyway? Does he know all this is happening? Does he know that androids are dominant now and no one knows just how many fucking humans are left?"

Nines didn’t reply so Gavin continued.

"And what about the other countries, huh!? Why aren’t they helping us? Have they been taken over too? Ugh!"

"You are frustrated."

"No fucking shit I’m frustrated!" Gavin yelled. "Just put a goddamn bullet in my head already."

Nines shook his head. "I don’t want to do that. I like you, Gavin. I will try to make your life a little better."

"Life can never be better as long as I am here."

Nines sighed and nodded. "I understand."

"No. No, you really don’t."

"You are dismissed for today," Nines said. "I have things to talk about with Connor. I suggest getting some sleep." Nines reached forward, and just for a moment, he placed his fingertips on Gavin’s cheek. "I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable."

Gavin’s cheeks went a soft pink and he nodded. He got up and quickly let, taking the horizontal elevator back to his floor. He went to his room and flopped down onto his bed. Gavin couldn’t stop thinking about Nines’ fingers on his cheek. He hated how much he liked it.

Gavin pulled his blankets over his bed, closed his eyes and eventually went to sleep.

**. . .**

**Author's Note**

_ Longest chapter yet! 2061 words. What's your preffered chapter length? And would you prefer the story to move faster or slower _


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin's weariness catches up to him and he asks his android friends for a huge favour.

Gavin worked silently throughout the morning after two nights in a row without sleep. He was thinking about the moments he had spent with Nines a few days ago.

He dropped a coffee mug which shattered instantly at impact. Gavin's eyebrows furrowed and he cursed as he cleaned up the broken mug. It managed to cut his palm, causing him to yelp and then swear again. The human palm had many nerve endings and hurt like a bitch to slice.

Gavin cleaned it up and disposed of the broken mug. He grumbled under his breath and a SJ300 strolled over.

"Hey, what did you do?"

Gavin scoffed. "I broke a mug. So what?"

"So, you wasted a perfectly good mug!" he said. "Worthless fucking human. Connor's definitely hearing about this." The SJ300 walked away, grumbling.

Gavin rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

He went back to what he was doing, cautious of not breaking more. Gavin took time to reflect on what such a pitiful, pitiful life he had. It was horrid. But Gavin was always thinking about how much life sucked. Maybe he should focus more on the good things.

The thought of being optimistic managed to make Gavin laugh out loud - a cold, empty laugh. Optimism was nowhere in his field of vision.

Gavin finished washing the dishes. The fact that dishes for androids existed was baffling to him, but it was a benefit for him as he had access to bowls, plates and cutlery for his own meal - along with some cooking utensils that androids occasionally used for some reason. How would would Gavin eat without plates and bows anyway? Would he just eat food directly out of the hands of an android?

Gavin stretched, arching his back which cracked. His spine and shoulders were begging for a good, deep massage - a luxury that Gavin no longer had access too. I could ask Connor for one, Gavin thought before pursing his lips. Who am I kidding? He wouldn't agree to that. Nines definitely wouldn't, either.

The thought of Nines giving Gavin a deep, sensual massage made colour rise to Gavin's cheeks, and his eyes widened just a little. But he quickly brushed away his thoughts. Gavin wasn't gay. He dried all the dishes and put them away before exiting the abnormally large kitchen. The reason why a kitchen so large was needed for robots was beyond Gavin.

He walked down the hallway, past many accommodation rooms specifically for androids. All enclosed with no windows. Gavin would like that but nooo, Gavin was human and had to be monitered regularly to control any misbehaviour. Didn't that sound familiar?

Gavin walked to Nines' office. As he made his way, his weariness dropped down on him like a sack of balls. Every step that he took felt like it was more effort than the previous, and Gavin felt so extremely drained. Gavin walked slower and slower, nearly zombie like. He struggled to keep his eyes open as he stopped in front of Nines' door. He raised his hand which was balled into a fist and knocked twice before falling back as his world went dark.

"Gavin? Hey, I think he's waking up."

"About time. Get up, human."

"Don't be so harsh. He clearly just woke up. Are you okay, Gavin?"

Gavin groaned and his eyes fluttered open. Looming over him were three androids - two that Gavin didn't know and Nines.

"I opened the door and you were passed out," Nines said with concern. "What was wrong?"

"I guess the lack of sleep finally caught up to me," Gavin replied truthfully. He tried to sit up, groaning again. Nines rested a hand behind Gavin's back and helped him to rise to a sitting position. The back of Gavin's head was hurting badly.

"You're bleeding," Nines murmured. "You were only out for a few minutes." Nines put his fingers at the back of Gavin's head which caused some extra pain. Nines withdrew his hand, confirming that there was indeed blood. Nines pressed it against his tongue.

"Ew! Nines, the hell?" Gavin said before wincing. Guess he couldn't be too loud.

"I was simply scanning your blood."

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to," Gavin practically hissed.

"Don't be mean to him, human, he's trying to help," an unidentified female android said as she glared at Gavin. He rolled his eyes.

"You will be in need of sleep following this unfortunate event," Nines stated.

"It's not like it hasn't happened before."

"Gavin. You will sleep." Nines dismissed the other two androids with a flick of his wrist before he helped Gavin to stand up. "You will sleep and after you do we will check to see if there is any truly concerning damage to your skull. I apologise for your lack of sleep. Has Connor been overseeing this?"

"No," Gavin replied. "Sometimes I just can't seem to fall asleep, other times androids sneak me out to work and threaten me if I don't obey."

Nines frowned and shook his head in disappointment. "Be sure to report any androids who does such." Nines put his arm around Gavin's back and set it under his armpit to support him. Gavin couldn't suppress a blush as he leaned against Nines who was slowly and carefully guiding him to an elevator.

"Make sure to get a good sleep, Gavin. Sleep is important for humans. Sadly, it appears that some androids around these parts have chosen to ignore that. It's a shame, as it's such an important factor for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle."

"No offence, but I don't really call this a healthy lifestyle," Gavin said. "I'm slaved around every day and forced to do all this shit while my needs are always overlooked. My mental health is destroyed and just... Fuck. Why the hell am I ranting to you, anyway?"

"It seems you have gained some trust in me." A faint smile ghosted the lips of Nines, which was surprising since he always bore such a stone cold expression.

"I mean, I guess I always have some level of respect for you. We worked in the same place, after all. There was that time when we were even partners. Man, you kicked that guy's ass! You should've seen his face while he ran off. He was petrified!" Gavin was grinning. It felt good to reminisce about the time that things were normal.

"I was made to be intimidating. Petrifying a criminal is something I have always intended to do," Nines said.

"You were awesome. God, I miss those times. I wish things were just how they were. I wanna wake up from this nightmare."

Gavin swore he could've seen a twinkle of sadness in Nines' icy eyes. He didn't respond, as Gavin somewhat expected.

They got into the elevator which was a quick, silent ride. Nines escorted Gavin to his room and made sure he was comfortable in his bed. They had picked up an ice pack along the way which Nines set under Gavin's head to help numb the pain.

"Have a good sleep, Gavin."

"Thank you, Nines. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Nines left the room and shut the door. He closed the blinds to the large window which was accessible from outside the room only. Gavin appreciated it. Left to his own devices, he closed his eyes and swiftly fell asleep.

When Gavin woke up, he heard hushed whispers. He winced at the throbbing pain he experienced in the back of his skull. He blinked the sleep away and rolled over to look at the two androids in his room - Nines and Connor.

"Nines? Connor?" Gavin rasped with confusion. The androids turned their heads to look at Gavin and Connor gave a warm smile.

"Hi, Gavin. How are you feeling?"

"I'm in some fucking pain but I'll be fine."

Gavin sat up. "I want to ask you a favour. A big favour."

Raising an eyebrow, Nines strolled over curiously. "What's the favour?"

"I want you to help me escape."


	7. Chapter Seven

"No."

Nines' response came with no thought at all.

Gavin should've been expecting it. The androids had no real reason to let him go anyway. He still wanted answers, though.

"Yeah? Why not?"

Nines glared at Gavin. "Firstly, because Connor and I have decided to keep you alive to help us when we so easily could've killed you. You're seeming to take that for granted. The world is now android-run and it would be difficult to disguise you in public. I am high-ranking but not enough to set you free, even if I wanted to. Only someone with a high, high rank could set you free."

"Yeah, well, shouldn't Connor be someone like that? He helped with the revolution, after all," Gavin pointed out.

"I was offered a position but I declined," Connor replied. "But that is besides the point."

"Where would you even go if we let you go, Gavin?" Nines asked.

"Human Jericho," Gavin responded with a shit-eating grin. Nines rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Damnit, Gavin, sometimes I wish I didn't order those androids to spare you."

Ouch.

"Yeah, whatever. Fuck off," Gavin said with no thoughts.

Nines gave Gavin an annoyed look. "You get a day off. Then you work again." He left the room. Connor gave a shrug.

"I'll be back with some food, Gavin," he said before leaving.

Gavin didn't respond. He heaved a frustrated sigh and lay back on his bed. With little thought he had so many questions. Why was human food still availible? Where were the androids like Markus who wanted an end to slavery? It was like he was in a poorly planned book.

He felt a tiny bit bad for being so rude to Nines. After all, he had shown Gavin care. Gavin was just annoyed that he declined to help him be freed. Then again, both Nines and Connor had a point with both refusing. Where would Gavin even go?

Gavin got out his diary and wrote a quick entry. He described the recent events and the thoughts he had been having about Nines. He saw Connor walk to his room so he quickly hid the diary again, just as Connor opened the door. He had a plate with two pieces of toast with no spread and two lettuce leaves next to him. It amused Gavin a little, but at least he tried.

"Thanks. I will much enjoy these pieces of plain toast and these two leaves of lettuce."

"Good. I'll be back tomorrow. For now, rest. How's your head?" Connor asked as Gavin began to eat.

"It's still killin', but I'll be fine."

"Okay. Tell me if it hurts too much tomorrow to do your duties."

"Will do."

Connor gave Gavin a nod before leaving. He turned off the light and closed the curtain when he left, which Gavin was grateful for. Gavin finished his food and then set the plate on the table. He stretched and thought about how he was contemplating asking Nines to give him a massage. He would have to remember to ask him for that some time.

Gavin took some time to literally just pace around his room while his brain plunged into a flurry of thoughts that simultanously made so much sense but also nothing at all (aka the usual thoughts of a millenial).

He soon flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling he had to look at on a regularly basis. Gavin wished he could just be back at his usual home, book in one hand while the other was occupied with petting his cat.

Gavin missed his cat dearly. Her name was Luna and she had long blue-grey fur and deep blue eyes. She was sweet and friendly and always liked to cuddle Gavin.

"I hope you're okay, Luna," Gavin murmured aloud with sadness. He had luckily left the cat flap open when he was working on the day of the take over, and Gavin knew that Luna could hunt. She sometimes brought him gifts. Once Gavin woke up with a dead mouse in his mouth.

He closed his eyes but he just couldn't sleep. Gavin lay in the darkness until he finally fell asleep.

Gavin woke the next morning to Connor gently shaking him. He had the urge to slap him but Gavin, not wanting to get ripped a new asshole, resisted that urge. The pain in his head had dulled but it still hurt. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Good morning, Gavin. How are you feeling?"

"I'm well enough to work, thanks."

"Good," Connor said. "I did not bring food and I apologise. You can make your own if you wish."

"Yeah, it's fine. I'll get some water while I'm at it. Could you leave? I wanna get changed."

"Of course." Connor left the room and Gavin changed into his cleanest clothes. Gavin was in deseprate need for a shower. Hopefully, he would have the chance to shower later. He walked off to work.

Gavin wasn't quite sure how it happened, but he was suddenly being beat by a group of enraged androids.

Never mind - he definitely knew.

Gavin was complaining to himself about androids under his breath as they were passing. They confronted him and Gavin, being the absolute intellectual he is, insulted them right to their face.

So now Gavin had all limbs held down as blows were dealt to his stomach with both fists and feet. A few hits landed on his head and legs too. It hurt like hell, and he utterly regretted making a snarky remark.

"Get the fuck off me!" Gavin yelled out before coughing up blood.

The androids didn't listen.

"This'll teach you to disrecpect androids!" One yelled, her loud voice echoing.

Soon enough, a few androids came in and forced the attackers off Gavin. At this point, Gavin was trembling and nearly unconscious. The androids who came to his aid called out for help, and two androids helped Gavin to Nines' office. Gavin barged in and his body gave in as soon as he reached Nines' desk.

He coughed up more blood. He looked up at Nines. "I need help." Nines' eyes were wide and he rushed to Gavin's side.

Nines told the two androids to get a medical android. He set Gavin on an office chair.

"What happened, Gavin?"

"'Said something androids didn't like. They decided tha tthe most civil option would be to beat the living shit out of me."

Nines sighed and removed Gavin's hoodie and shirt, despite the complaining he recieved. "You have to watch your mouth, Gavin."

"Androids need a piece of my mind."

Nines shook his head before inspecting Gavin's body. "Well, you escaped with no broken bones, which is lucky considering your condition. But you're extremely bruised."

"I'd expect that."

"Of course you would." Nines frowned as he softly cupped Gavin's bruised cheek. This caused Gavin to blush, and he did not like that. Not the gesture, but the fact that he blushed.

"Go die."

"That isn't very nice of you, Gavin."

Gavin huffed as Nines removed his hand. Nines dipped his fingers in the splattered blood on the desk and pressed it against his lips. He analysed it.

"You're malnourished, Gavin. We need to do something about that."

"You needed to do something about that two years ago." Gavin flipped off Nines just as a few medical androids arrived with a stretcher. "Oh, cool. Take me away, boys."

The androids exchanged confused glances.

"Gavin, you do see that two of us are female, right?"

"Yeah."

Nines helped the androids put Gavin on the stretcher. "Give me updates."

One nodded and Gavin was taken to the medical ward. It was for androids but they made room for Gavin. He stayed in there for twelve hours before taken back to his room. He was on painkillers that were somehow compatible with both androids and humans.

Gavin lay in bed. After around an hour, Nines came in.

"Hello, Gavin."

Gavin jolted and he looked up at Nines. "Christ, you scared the shit out of me!"

"Thank you, but I don't believe I am deserving of such a title."

It took Gavin a moment. "Fuck you."

Nines took a seat on one of the chairs in Gavin's room. "You've been aggressive recently. How come?"

"Lack of sleep and wanting to have a normal life again does things to a person."

"Mhm. Gavin, I wanted to tell you something. Something which had been troubling to me."

"Go ahead," Gavin mumbled.

"Seeing you come into my office in such pain, it... threw me off," Nines started. "It gave me some strange urge. Some urge to protect you and fight whoever did this to you. They will be punished if you were wondering. I disliked seeing you in such a state."

Gavin was thrown into a stunned silence. He soon smirked a bit and said, "That's a bit gay."

"What is a gay?"

"That's a bit homosexual."

"Oh." Nines' cheeks turned a soft pink. "/Oh/. Gavin, no, it's not like that."

"I know," Gavin chuckled. "I was just being a shithead."

"Anyways, I believe I have some level of care for you, Gavin. And this made me think about that favour you asked me."

"Oh, did it?" Gavin sat up and faced his torso towards Nines. "What do you say, then?"

"I've run this through with Connor already, and..."

"And?"

"We've decided that, provided a good plan is created, we will help you escape."

~~~~~~---~~~~~~  
A/N  
Chapter seven is here already! It was written so quicky because I was inspired by the two (2) comments on chapter six. So thank you!


	8. Chapter Eight

"We will sneak you out at three am when the guards are swapping shifts."

Gavin slipped his arms into an android jacket. Nines' plan was echoing in his mind. Gavin had been given two days rest.

"We will take you through the main city on foot and reach the other side at ten am."

He placed a fake LED to his temple.

"There we will meet with our guide at a cafe where we will be taken to an escape route we will be travelling for a few days."

Gavin watched as Nines pressed his fingers to the jacket and changed the model number to 'GV200.'

"Are you ready to go, Gavin?"" Nines asked as he made sure the jacket was perfectly aligned. Gavin looked up at Nines, taking a moment to let his eyes linger on Nines' face. 

"You sure this jacket and the LED are enough? Wouldn't it seem suspicious?"

"Suspicious how?" Nines asked asked as he dipped a makeup brush in foundation.

"Well, most androids nowadays are deviants, aren't they? Why would they have an LED or an android jacket?"

"I wear an android jacket," Nines asked. "Connor wears one too, and he has his LED. It's not that suspicious. It'll help with the disguise."

Nines dabbed the foundation over Gavin's nose scar, which made him wrinkle his nose and pull his head back a bit. "What the fuck? I didn't want this."

"You need it. Androids don't typically have scars, and your nose scar makes you distinctive. If someone who knows you sees the scar, they'll know it's you and it'll all be over."

"Wouldn't I be recognised anyway?"

Nines finished with the foundation then applied concealer to the scar.   
"Not if we're careful. The disguise should be enough."

Nines pulled away a hand and with the other, he cupped Gavin's cheek. "There you go." Nines rubbed his thumb against Gavin's jawline. Gavin got flustered and he pulled his head back as his face flushed with colour.

"T-That's gay," Gavin stuttered out as he took a moment to regain himself. Nines chuckled and handed Gavin two contacts.

"Here you go. Just temporary, until we get somewhere safe."

Gavin looked at the contacts dropped into his hand. They had blue irises. He slipped them into his eyes and turned to a mirror. Gavin was alone with Nines in a dimly lit room. The clock said it was 2:48 pm.

Gavin sprayed some gel into his hand and with the help of a hairbrush, he slicked his hair back perfectly. 

Gavin saw his transformed self. Once dirty and messy hair washed and carefully slicked black. No remnants of the scar on his nose remained. Blue eyes the colour of Lapis Lazuli, if the gem was dappled with lighter and darker shades. Clean clothes that complimented his frame perfectly, as if tailored.

Nines rested a hand on Gavin's shoulder, standing behind him and looking into the mirror.

"You certainly look different," Nines commented. "Handsome if I do say so myself. Yet, undoubtedly, you always look handsome Gavin."

Did- Did he just flirt with me!? Gavin thought with shock. He instantly blushed and he gave a simple nod as a response. He cleared his throat a little. "Mm, yeah."

Nines removed his hand from Gavin's shoulder and turned so he was facing him. Nines' eyes flickered to Gavin's lips but they quickly refocused to his eyes. 

"Let's hope that this goes well. You don't deserve any more pain."

"I know. The sooner I'm out of here, the better."

Nines glanced at the clock."Let's go find Connor then," he said before turning and leaving the room.

Gavin followed Nines down the hallway. Nines abruptly stopped and knocked on the wooden door. His knock nearly seemed to have a certain pattern.

Connor opened the door and Nines slipped inside with Gavin close behind. There were two stuffed backpacks.

"Here we go," Connor said. "Food, water, thirium, clothes, a blanket, and a portable charger with over a hundred hours charge."

"There's two bags," Gavin said with a bit of confusion. "With... Android items?"

"Correct. I decided I'm going to be joining you in your escape. You need someone and I don't mind coming with you," Connor said.

Gavin's shoulders sagged as he realised something. He wouldn't be able see Nines again.

"What about Nines?" He asked, dismay unmasked on his face.

"Nines has a large responsibility and he needs to stay here," Connor said.

"Don't fret, Gavin." Nines gave him a warm, reassuring gaze. "I've thought it over, and time to time I will be visiting you along our journey. Connor and I have agreed to share locations with each other."

"Oh, cool. Not like I care or anything, just wondering."

Nines gave Gavin a disbelieving look - eyebrows raised and eyes slightly hooded. Gavin quickly spoke before either android could.

"Why am I finding this all out just now? This is my escape and I have only just found out I'm gonna be joined by Connor. I still wanna know where my escape route is. And who is this guide? How did you know about them?"

"A few months ago I found an android with two children confirmed human. She begged to let them escape," Connor explained. "I agreed on account that she will help me when needed. I got into contact with her and she will take you to where she took the children."

"Woah. That was nice of you," Gavin said with a little bit of surprise. But not too much. Connor helped him, after all. "Did they make it?"

"The children? Yes, they are alive and well. They found whatever they were looking for. I'm glad. I couldn't just turn them in, they were children. They would've probably gotten killed." Connor's eyes flickered with sadness and regret. "Sometimes I wish things were different. Most humans nowadays a gone, but they shouldn't be. Because of-"

"We gotta go," Nines cut in quickly before shooting Connor a warning look. Connor's eyes widened a little and he gave a nod. 

Gavin instantly felt suspicious. He couldn't help but wonder what Connor was going to reveal. But that was something to think about another time. Connor threw Gavin a backpack which he put on, and then Connor put on the other one.

Gavin followed Nines and Connor to the elevator which they took down to the ground floor. Gavin looked around. He had only been there once when he first arrived in the building.

Nines stopped at a corner and poked his head just enough to see. There was some silence before he waved his hand and quickly moved forward.

The guards were moving away from the door down the hall. Nines walked as quickly as he could in silence towards the door. He, Connor and Gavin were all wearing silent sneakers.

On the way towards the door, Gavin slipped and he gasped. The sound echoed and he felt dread turn his blood cold. Gavin gripped his kneecap which was badly hurting. It wasn't broken but it would definitely bruised.

"Shit!" Nines hissed. He ran back to Gavin and scooped him up bridal style as the guards started yelling. Gavin could see their shadows against the wall slowly getting closer.

Nines ran towards the door as quick as he could manage with Connor by he side. Luckily the room was dimly lit so none of them would be recognised.

Nines and Connor ran out into the rain. Gavin covered his nose with his hand so the makeup wouldn't be washed away. He heard yells and the sounds of footsteps behind them.

Nines and Connor turned a sharp corner and they were in an alleyway. They ran behind a dumpster which had overhead shelter and Nines set Gavin down. He checked him all over, worry crossed over his face. Connor walked to the end of the alley to keep watch.

"Gavin, are you okay? Are you hurting?" Nines asked whilst scanning Gavin for wounds.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I slipped and hurt my knee, but I'll be fine. Fuck, I fucked up. We could've gotten out silently but he didn't because of me."

Nines shook his head. "Don't blame yourself. Some things don't go as planned. So what if it didn't go smoothly? You're out, yeah?"

"Yeah, but right now the guards are searching for us."

"It's okay. If we're not found in ten minutes they'll give up. Connor will let me know if they're coming. Remember, androids have telepathic communication."

Gavin nodded. Nines moved to sit beside him. Gavin, being cold, moved close to Nines and rested his head on his shoulder. 

Nines slipped off his jacket and set it over Gavin. He then put an arm around him so they were closer. Gavin had to admit to himself that he enjoyed the closeness thoroughly. The pair sat in a comfortable silence until Connor came back and gave the all clear.

"Are you ready for a night of walking?" Nines asked, standing up and slipping his jacket back on. 

Gavin nodded. "Mhm. Let's go."


	9. Chapter Nine

The lights of dawn were filling up the sky as the trio spent the entirety of the night walking through the streets, and occasionally ducking and hiding to avoid being seen by androids on patrol.

As Gavin walked, something hit him. This was the first in a long time since he had been outside. He felt the cool night breeze gently flow against him and stir his hair only in the slightest. After two years, he was free. 

But not entirely. Gavin wasn't out of the woods yet, there was still the looming threat of being recognized and captured - even with his android disguise. Gavin looked up at Nines, who was staring ahead with unreadable expression.

Whenever Gavin was too weak to walk on and had to ask to stop, Nines and Connor seemed confused. Gavin had to remind them that Gavin was a human and had certain stamina levels.

"So it's like giving your biocomponents a rest whenever they have a chance of being damaged or weakened," Connor had said, to which Gavin had nodded. "Strange. Androids can go for weeks, months even."

"It's because humans are weak," Nines had replied to that, which made Gavin give an offended scoff.

Gavin shook away the recent memories. "So, how far away are we?"

"We will arrive at ten, just like said. Although, we might have been earlier if you didn't need rest," Nines said. Gavin flipped him off.

"We will like arrive earlier," Connor said, looking at Gavin. "Since you decided we should take shortcuts. What did you say? 'My leggy boys really be needin' the quick way'? I still do not understand what that human gibberish means."

Gavin felt his cheeks flush as some embarrassment rolled over his shoulders. "It was nothing but truth, Connor. I will t-pose on your grave."

"What?" Now Connor seemed even more confused. "I doubt you will outlive me. What is a t-pose?"

Gavin noticed that when Connor said that, a new emotion came to light in Nines' eyes and he glanced away from the pair. Gavin decided not to ask him if anything was wrong; Ni,"es wasn't much of a sharer.

"A t-pose is this." Gavin t-posed at Connor. "People say it died in 2020, when I was a teenager, but the t-pose will forever live on through me."

Gavin felt two unimpressed pairs of eyes on him.

"Okay," Connor said in the tone where you know he wanted the conversation wanted to end.

"Let's keep moving," Nines said sternly, walking faster than he was previously. "It's not the best idea for us to stop moving in broad daylight."

Gavin tried to keep up a steady pace next to Nines and now Connor, but he was visibly struggling. "Wait, slow down oh my God! Your legs are too long for me!" he complained. Nines turned around and just scooped Gavin up off his feet, which caused Gavin to deeply blush. "Oh, okay, this works too. Thank you."

Nines rolled his eyes and switched from holding Gavin bridal style to effortlessly carrying him over his shoulder. Gavin's abdomen was now being squashed and he wanted to complain but he didn't. Gavin decided that this position was 'eyes at the back of my head' phrase taken seriously, as he was lugged head-first over Nines' shoulder.

The trio went back to travelling in science as the sun steadily rose higher and higher. Gavin saw a few early waking androids gave him strange and questioning looks. Gavin ended up lowering his head to not strain his neck and spine.

Someone stopped Nines and asked if he was carrying a dead body, to which he responded to turning so Gavin was facing the android. "Do I look dead?"

"N-No, sir." The android visibly grew nervous. "I've never seen a model like you."

"I'm a GV prototype, and a unique model. Now please, fuck off."

The android nodded and skidded off. Gavin sighed and went limp again.

The group of three continued on their way until nine. By this time the sun was well up in the sky and androids were buzzing around everywhere.

They made it to the cafe a solid hour early. They sat in a secluded booth in the corner and ordered Gavin human food, which was not questioned as some androids ate human food.

Gavin got a coffee, a cheese toasted sandwich with garlic powder and a donut that Nines paid for. He forced himself to not wolf down the food like an uncivilized person, but it was difficult since it had been so long since he had eaten some good food. He sipped on the mocha he had ordered - he was indecisive of whether he wanted coffee or hot chocolate, which helped direct his beverage choice.

Nines and Connor made small talk with Gavin, who tried to make his life sound normal. He soon finished his food and wiped his mouth with a supplied napkin. Gavin let his hands flop on the table.

"Did you enjoy lunch, Gavin?" Nines asked. He saw Gavin's hands just on the table, so he gently grabbed one and held it. This made Gavin look away from Nines and flip him off as his cheeks started burning. Gavin heard Connor chuckle.

"Yeah," Gavin mumbled with a pout.

Nines smiled and stroked his thumb over Gavin's knuckle before removing his hand. Gavin missed the touch, but he wouldn't show such. He folded his arms on the table and glanced at the clock. 9:24 am.

Gavin groaned and slid down his chair in the booth. "I want... To go to sleep."

"Then sleep," Nines said. "No one is stopping you."

"Maybe not, the looming threat of being taken and either enslaved again or killed isn't really on my to-do list," Gavin replied. "Actually, wait. Let me try that again. Being killed sounds pretty good right now."

"Don't talk like that," Nines growled, suddenly seeming a bit angry. "You are not being killed or captured, okay? You will be fine. We just have to get you out of here."

"Jeez, sorry," Gavin groaned. The fact that Nines seemed so caring made his heart flutter, even if he was angry about what he said. It was almost like Nines might have feelings for Gavin.

Another half hour passed of waiting, and Gavin was bored as ever. Then Connor abruptly straightened his posture as he saw an android enter the establishment. The android spotted Connor and walked right over to their table and took a seat next to Gavin. 

She extended her hand to shake. "You must be Gavin."

Gavin nodded. "And you are?"

"Eloise."

Gavin nodded. "Eloise. Right. Are you here to uh..."

"Help us," Connor said. "Yes, she is. She is the child smuggler, and she will now smuggle you as well. And me. I made a promise to Nines to not leave your side."

Gavin looked at Nines who was now slightly blushing. Gavin raised en eyebrow but didn't comment, despite how much he wanted to tease him.

"Okay. Cool. So when do we leave?"

"I was thinking either today, or we can stay at a hotel overnight," Eloise said.

"Staying at a hotel sounds nice. If I'm being honest, I didn't know those still existed."

"Of course they do," Nines said. "If Gavin wants do that, then we will. If the human needs rest before leaving, then we will supply."

"Speaking of supply..." Eloise opened up the bag she had. She had also stocked up on portable batteries, thirium and human food and water. "I figured we might need more."

Connor's eyes lit up. "Cool! I wasn't sure whether I had packed enough or not. Thank you, Eloise!"

"No problem," she smiled. "Let's go to a hotel then, hm? There's actually a hotel down the street, we can stay there."

"It's settled then. The human rests, we leave tomorrow in the early morning."

"I have a name, you know," Gavin said while shooting a glare in Nines' direction.

Eloise, Connor and Nines stood up and slid out of the booth with Gavin tagging along closely behind them. They left the cafe and walked down the street where there was a hotel, as promised. Eloise got a room with two singe beds and one queen sized bed, something that no one else realized until actually in the hotel.

"You sure you ordered right?" Gavin asked.

Eloise shrugged. "It was easiest."

"Why do you need beds anyway? You're androids."

"We want rest too," Nines said. "Besides, it's useful for conserving battery life. Sleeping can even charge androids to some extent as well."

"Oh. Okay." Gavin walked over to one of the single beds and sat down, shrugging off his bag and letting it drop to the floor. Nines looked at him and shook his head.

"Nope."

Nines scooped Gavin up and set him down gently in the queen sized bed. "This is where you're sleeping." Nines grabbed the TV remote and turned on the television. Gavin felt quite relaxed as he looked at the TV. 

An hour passed and Gavin stood up. The androids were settled in quite nicely. Connor and Eloise had taken the single beds, while Nines was sitting on the couch. Gavin walked over to left hiss bag and dragged it closer to his bed. He had a little sip of water before filling the bottle up again at the tap in the bathroom. 

Gavin put the water bottle back in his bag and pulled out his diary that he had taken with him secretly. He wrote in a new entry of recent events before putting the diary back in his bag.

Gavin went back to watching television, and before he knew it the hours were passing quickly. Eloise was just returning with food she gave to Gavin, Connor had gone to sleep and Nines was using projection to display a screen in front of him. Gavin took the food and thanked Eloise before eating. He set the plate aside. Gavin had water, refilled his water bottle then lay in the bed. 

It was about seven at night. Eloise turned off the light and went to bed, so the only light was coming from Nines' screen. But soon that light was gone soon, and Gavin realized that Nines would be sleeping on the couch. That made him feel bad.

"Nines?"

With the moonlight filtering though the window, Gavin made out a shape sitting up. 

"Yes, Gavin?"

"I don't feel right about you being on the bed. Would you wanna, uh... Would you wanna stay in my bed?"

"Are you sure."

"Yeah, phcking android."

Nines laughed. Gavin managed to make out Nines standing and walking over to the bed. Gavin felt weight dip in the bed as Nines got in the bed.

"Goodnight, Gavin," Nines said.

"Goodnight."

A silence fell and Gavin shuffled a bit closer to Nines. Gavin felt arms wrap around me and pull him close. Gavin felt colour flood to his face and his heart started beating wildly. He closed his eyes and slowly pressed his face against Nines' chest. Gavin felt a hand land on the back of his head.

"Gavin?"

"Yeah?"

Silence pursued.

"... Never mind. Go to sleep, you need it."

Gavin sighed and soon enough, he fell asleep to the warmth of Nines' body.


	10. Chapter Ten

Gavin woke up with a gasp. He sat up swiftly and felt some unknown weight on his back and escaped from the grasp, falling right onto the floor. Gavin looked around, not knowing where he was.

But then the memories came flooding back. He had fallen asleep in Nines' warm arms, in this hotel room. Gavin got up and went to the sink. He felt disgusting and drenched in sweat due to a nightmare which he had just woken up from. He stripped himself of all of the clothing on his torso, which left him with boxers and pants.

Gavin had a drink of water from the tap and a cup that was in the room. He heard footsteps and soon enough Nines was standing next to him. Nines reached over and turned on the light switch before glancing down at Gavin's arm.

With a frown, Nines tenderly took Gavin's wrist and examined his arm. He pointed at the scars littered across his skin. "Gavin, these scars..."

"Wanna know something, Nines?" Gavin said, raising his chin a little. "I was eight years clean before I was captured." Flooded with a wave of anger, he ripped his arm away. Gavin was trapped for two years, suffering and abused by androids who didn't think once that they were doing the wrong thing.

Gavin slammed the cup against the bench and went into the bathroom which was stocked with towels. He locked the door and completely stripped before stepping into the shower and turning it on. He closed his eyes, allowing the water to rush over his body.

Mixed in with the water was a singular tear. Then two. Before long, the tears were steaming and Gavin was audibly whimpering. The poor man was so broken, so shattered. So what if he was an asshole? He never deserved this. It was traumatic; an experience Gavin would have with him forever. He could practically feel the claws gripping at his chest, digging in deep and not making him struggle to breathe whilst also injecting him with a poison that cursed him with memories.

Gavin fell to his knees and put his head in his hands. He just wanted to be happy and healthy again. Not half-starved and weak. His eyes were stinging and his nose was dripping mucus, which made Gavin scowl in disgust. 

He took control of his breathing and stood up. He grabbed soap and washed his body, and then washed his hair thoroughly. He made sure to give himself a good clean, since Gavin wasn't sure of when he would be able to shower again. Gavin wasn't sure of anything anymore.

The only thing he really knew is that he was far from safety.

After showering, Gavin dried himself off and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stepped out into the main section of the hotel room and put on some fresh clothes from his bag. He filled up the bathroom sink and let his dirty clothes soak in soapy water.

Gavin sat down on his bed and Nines sat next to him. Nines set a hand on Gavin's back.

"I heard you crying, Gavin. The water may help to mask the sounds, but these walls are thin."

Gavin suddenly blushed hard. "Does- Does that mean you heard me jacking off?"

Nines looked at Gavin with wide eyes. "W-What?" He looked a little horrified. That was probably the only time Gavin had heard Nines stutter, and look so shocked. He usually maintained such a calm and collected composure. "No, Gavin, I did not hear that. And frankly, I did not need to know that happened."

Gavin felt even more embarrassed. Probably more embarrassed than Nines was.

Nines removed his hand from Gavin's back and he stood up. "Maybe it's a good thing I'm not going with you."

Oof. That stung. "Well fuck you too!" Gavin grumbled in a shrill tone.

Nines flipped Gavin off and went to the kitchen area. "I'll be back. I'm going to buy some breakfast." He left the room.

Gavin stayed seated on his bed, except now his arms were crossed and he was pouting like a child. He soon curled up and stared at the ceiling. 

Nines soon came back with breakfast just as Connor was beginning to stir. Connor sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. His hair was messy and he still looked half asleep. Connor seemed so human.

But Nines, he moved stiffly and always had something unsettling about him that reminded Gavin he wasn't human. No one was anymore. Everyone was different to Gavin, he felt out of place and sometimes this unwanted feeling crushes him.

Nines set the breakfast on the table. He had bought some McDonalds. Gavin went out onto the little balcony the room had come with to eat, food in hand. He pulled a sausage and egg burger out of the bag that the food was in. 

"I love these burgers, I haven't had one in so long," Gavin said. He unwrapped the burger and took a big bite out of it.

"Good. I bought two. I also got you a thirium-free coffee and a hash brown."

"I hope it's thirium free," Gavin stated flatly as he picked up the coffee. He had a sip. Mocha. Nines remembered he liked it. Gavin smiled a little at that as he sipped on his coffee.

Nines went to the bathroom and took Gavin's clothes out of the sink as soon as Gavin had finished eating and went back inside. He went into the main room with the clothing in hand. Eloise, who was awake, was sitting with Gavin at the table. She was looking at him curiously.

"You do realize they're wet, right?" Gavin asked, his tone a little more bitchy than he had intended.

Nines stared Gavin right in the eyes as he took off his shirt, pressed Gavin's clothes against his abdomen, and raised his body heat to a high temperature so Gavin could visibly see the clothes drying. It wasn't particularly dangerous for an android to heat themselves up, but preferred to be avoided. 

"Oh. Okay."

Nines seemed proud of himself, judging by the grin he now bore and his gleaming eyes. He went over to Gavin and passed him the clothes, and Gavin went into the bathroom.

Gavin stripped himself down again and put on the android clothes. He slipped the LED onto his forehead and went back out to his bag. He got out the little makeup kit and Eloise came over.

"Allow me. Your blending yesterday was horrible."

Gavin huffed as she applied makeup to his scar, and blended the makeup so it looked perfectly realistic. Eloise fixed the LED too, mumbling about how incompetent men are."

“"Thanks," Gavin said flatly. Both Connor and Nines gave him a look and he rolled his eyes. “Thank you for the help, Eloise,” he said more believably.

Eloise smiled. "No problem." She straightened up Gavin’s jacket before walking away. Gavin went over to Nines and Connor.

"You aren’t my dads."

Nines glared at Gavin. "Well someone needs to act like it, since you sometimes act like an entitled brat," he growled.

Gavin felt offended. He was confused as to why everyone seemed to be attacking him recently. He flipped everyone off as his anger got the better of him. “You’re all assholes!”

To stop himself from punching someone, Gavin stormed out of the room. He heard footsteps rush behind him so he just went faster.

Gavin walked right into an elevator as an android came out. He rapidly pressed the close door button which closed, before choosing to go to the top level. Gavin balled his fists and when he was at the top floor, and took stairs to the roof. 

Gavin sat at the edge and let his legs dangle over the edge. He heard someone approaching and he looked up. An android glared down at him.

"You're not an android, are you?" they snarled. Gavin couldn't determine the gender of the android, and he didn't dwell on it. Panic rose to his chest and he could only stare up with utter shock."

"That look! That look proves it!" The android yelled. Gavin quickly stood up and the android punched him. Gavin punched back.

"Get the fuck away from me, you're wrong!" Gavin yelled. They punched him again, somehow smudging some of the makeup. They looked angrier and pulled a random wipe out of their pocket. They grabbed Gavin's face roughly and wiped away the makeup, revealing the scar.

Furious, the android dug their nails into Gavin's shoulders and shoved him hard.

Gavin was sent over the edge of the building, and an echoing wail escaped him. Gavin reached forward and grasped the ankle of the android. If he was to die, he would not die alone. Gavin flailed his limbs, desperately trying to grab onto something - anything to stop his fall. He didn't want to die like this. His body was numbed with horror and he couldn't scream anymore.

Gavin closed his eyes, feeling tears spill out from them. He had so many things still to do, so many things to say to people. Gavin opened his eyes looked down. He still had some way to go. He felt like he was going to throw up, and he closed his eyes again. 

Gavin just accepted his fate and closed his eyes as he plunged downwards.

...

~~~

A/N

Licuit erit. Sicut expectaturus.


	11. Chapter Eleven

As soon as Gavin had ran out of the apartment, Nines had run after him. But Connor pulled him back.

"Let me go," Connor said. "It's more risky if you're spotted."

Nines sighed and nodded, letting Connor go. He went out onto the balcony and looked out, his hands twitching with worry.

Connor decided Gavin would've gone to the roof since he took advantage of every time he got to be outside. Connor ran up onto the room.

There, he saw two figures fall over the edge accompanied by screams. Connor felt his stomach drop, somehow knowing exactly who it was. He concentrated his hardest and telepathically talked with Nines.

'Nines! Gavin is falling. You have to catch him!' 

Nines looked up and, sure enough, bodies were plunging. He gasped and he reached forward just as Gavin fell past. Nines had successfully gotten him under the armpits, and he pulled him up onto the balcony.

Clinging onto Gavin was an android that Gavin kicked off quickly. Gavin collapsed onto Nines and they both fell to the floor.

Nines looked at Gavin with horror and dismay. He almost lost the human who he fought so hard to keep alive, right from the start when Nines requested that Gavin lived. 

Gavin seemed frozen in shock for a moment before his body started to tremble. Gavin felt tears well up, and he felt his nose sting as he tried to force them down.

Then the sobbing commenced. Nines frowned and pulled Gavin close as he helplessly sobbed. Nines felt tears welling up.

"Why does this have to happen to me? Does the universe hate me?" Gavin choked out. 

Nines stroked his fingers through Gavin's hair. "The universe doesn't hate anyone. The course of fate is impacted by everyone's action, and what path they chose or did not get to choose. Like you, you never asked for this. But your destiny was still shaped to be in some sort of dystopian future when you're wanting nothing but peace and happiness. But the helplessness you have does not shape your future. You can try to make things right."

"I may not have much left to live for, and I may have crushing mental issues, but I'm not suicidal," Gavin hissed. "No way am I making myself seen. If I have any chance at freedom, then I'll take it."

Nines wanted to point out how taking a stand could assist in the freedom of not only Gavin but other humans too, but he held back. He knew that Gavin was going through a lot and shouldn't be overwhelmed.

"Okay," Nines murmured. He continued to hold Gavin close to him until Gavin detached himself. 

"We need to get going," Eloise said. "If an android fell with Gavin, then no doubt there may be an investigation." She looked at Gavin and scoffed. "You men are so incapable! Like Jesus Christ, you can't keep makeup on for five minutes."

Eloise grabbed the makeup kit and quickly reapplied Gavin's makeup to hide his nose, but she made sure to do a quality job. She also applied some to the dark bags under Gavin's eyes. 

"Okay, everyone. You all ready to move out?"

"Yep." Connor picked up his bag. "Let's go."

Nines took Gavin's hand in his own. "We're gonna be fine. Alright? We will be okay."

Gavin nodded. He squeezed Nines' hand. "Okay. I believe in you."

Nines took Gavin's other hand.

"I believe in us."

Nines leaned in a little and Gavin looked up at him obliviously. But before Nines could lean down any further, Eloise meaningfully cleared her throat.

Blushing, the pair quickly jumped apart. Gavin grabbed his bag and followed Eloise out.

Nines separated from the group to check out, but swiftly caught up with them again. All the while he was wondering how Gavin was found out, and what the causality could mean.

Gavin's eyes were darting around anxiously. "Is travelling in during the day the best idea?"

"Got any better ones?" Eloise countered.

"I dunno, maybe travelling at n-" Gavin's sneer was cut off by Nines slapping a hand over his mouth.

"Nope, let's continue moving," Nines said before shooting Gavin a warning glance.

Gavin suppressed an irritated groan. He didn't need to have Nines telling him what and what not to do, but right now he saw no option but to comply. Reluctantly, Gavin stuck by the sides of the androids as they walked down to the lobby. Gavin made himself maintain a calm composure. 

Eloise returned the room keys to the receptionist and the group walked out into broad daylight. It was a busy day out; androids buzzing all around. The sunlight was battering down against the concrete ground, heating it up to the point where you would prefer to have footwear. Gavin walked in between Nines and Connor with Eloise leading the group.

The group of four successfully walked through the crowds of androids. They got some strange and questioning looks, but apart from that there were no issues. Gavin recognised some of the androids sending weird looks but he decides not to think about it. Any signs of nervousness shown could result in being found out and captured.

Okay, maybe not looking nervous in general, but Gavin could be revealed to be human if he shows signs of anxiousness at the wrong time in a suspicious conversation.

Eloise led the group into an alleyway. "Stay here." Before anyone could speak, she was gone.

"Where could she possibly have gone?" Nines asked with a scowl on his face.

"I'm not sure. But we should wait for her, either way," Connor said.

Gavin had a bad feeling, but he didn't speak up about it. He fixed his stare awkwardly on the wall. He heard the sound of running that gradually became louder.

Gavin's heard footsteps that gradually got louder. He saw Nines and Connor stiffen with alarm. Nines his Gavin under garbage bags, and he nearly spewed when he felt some disgusting liquid leak out onto him.

"DPD! P- O-Oh."

Gavin wasn't sure of what was happening, but whatever Nines and Connor did threw the android off guard.

"Sirs, my deepest apologies, I did not realise you were here." The officer sounded awkward.

"Why are you here?" Nines asked a little icily.

"No reason, sir, I'll be on my way."

Receding footsteps sounded and after a minute passed, Nines yelled out angrily, "She ratted us out!"

Gavin was about to speak but he was dragged out of the garbage.

"Come on, Gavin, we're going," Nines said angrily. 

Nines picked up Gavin who didn't bother argue. He carried him quickly out of the alley.

"I know the vague area of where she would've taken us," Connor said as he power-walked. "How are we going to go about this?"

Gavin had an idea. He slipped out of Nines' arms. "Connor's going with me, right? How about we walk side by side with Nines staying a good distance behind? And if he's questioned, he could say he's following us."

"Good plan," Connor said. Nines seemed hesitant but he nodded anyway.

"It's our best shot. Let's get moving," Nines said.

Connor and Gavin walked side by side at a quick pace. They made their way through half a suburb before halting as they came to a highway.

"That must be the place!" Connor said. Across there was an exit ramp with a grass triangle beside it. In that triangle shaped patch of grass, there was a manhole. 

Connor ran across the highway, barely dodging cars. Gavin tried his best to keep up. He threw a hasty glance over his shoulder to see a horrified Nines. 

Connor uncovered the manhole once he made it across, and just as he did police androids flooded out of nowhere. Connor quickly ducked into the hole, jumping down instead of using the ladder.

"Hurry!" Connor yelled. "I can lock it!"

Gavin started to go down. He was hit with an adrenaline rush and he flipped off all of the police officers. "See ya, cocksuckers!"

Gavin then leapt down the rest of the way, and Connor closed and locked he manhole. Connor grabbed Gavin's wrist and began to run. They ran a fair distance before halting.

The pair were in a huge, abandon subway tunnel. Not many androids knew it existed.

Gavin panted and looked up at Connor. "We made it! But we left Nines behind." A frown fell upon Gavin's face.

"It'll be fine," Connor said. "He should figure out how to find us. I can send him my location. Maybe it was for the best he didn't join us."

Gavin nodded. "Time to go travel for an unknown time," he said with a sigh. "For my freedom. It doesn't feel like freedom."

"It's the most freedom you've had for the past few years, Gavin," Connor pointed out. "Let's get moving."

Gavin nodded. He felt a little hole in his chest. He wanted Nines to be there with him, to travel with him to true freedom.

"Let's go. I never want to look back," Gavin said.

And with that, the two walked off into the darkness.


	12. Chapter Twelve

During the first day of walking, Gavin had to stop a few times due to fatigue. They were walking through a huge, abandoned subway system. There were a few rails that dispersed across in different directions, accompanied by huge taverns of evenly hollowed concrete. Most of the lights above were broken, but the occasional one still worked - emitting a soft, faded orange glow which gave a bit on help seeing. Gavin had forgotten to pack a flashlight, but luckily Connor had one stored in his pack. In emergencies, Connor could also become a flashlight. They tried to avoid needing Connor though, as he needed to preserve his battery. Gavin had also removed his disguised so he looked like his normal self again.

The entire time, Gavin was thinking about Nines, and if he had escaped in time without questioning. And the entire time, he was missing him.

Gavin felt some form of connection with Nines, which showed in their moments of intimate closeness. Now that they were separated, Gavin realised how much he had enjoyed his spent time with Nines. How Nines and Connor were risking everything to make sure he would be okay.

"Connor?" Gavin suddenly asked.

Connor turned to look at him. "Yes?"

"Why were you so willing to give up everything for me?"

Connor came to a complete halt. "A human life is worth more than my safety and status. I figured that maybe... Maybe I could do some good in the world. Joining the deviants instead of sticking to my code and mission may have saved me, but it came at too high of a cost. Countless human lives were taken. I wished for a change, but I never wanted or speculated this."

Gavin noticed the emotional tone and expression. Connor appeared to feel genuine sorrow and regret; real feelings he felt so deeply.

"... Oh." Gavin was silent for a few heartbeats. "Either way, thank you. I would've been another dead man if you weren't willing to help me."

Connor nodded. It was unusual to see him so solemn.

"Let's get going."

"Right," Gavin said.

The pair kept moving, through a long, winding tunnel on the platform beside the tracks. It took time to get to the next opening, where Connor announced that the time was 8:47 pm.

"Okay. Fuck this. I'm resting," Gavin announced, dramatically flopping onto the ground.

"That's fair," Connor replied. He sat down nearby. 

Gavin took off his backpack and opened it. He took out a granola bar and began to eat it. Silence had fallen upon the two, broken only by the sound of Gavin munching on his food. After he was done, Gavin carelessly tossed the wrapper in a random direction. It wouldn't harm the environment either way; they were underground.

Gavin turned back to his bag and took out the rolled up sleeping bag. He unfolded it and got in it. "I hurt and I wanna die, so therefore I am going to sleep."

Connor didn't reply, but he got a small pillow from his own backpack. He lifted Gavin's head and stuffed the pillow under it.

"Oh, thanks," Gavin said. "Goodnight."

"Night." Connor stayed sitting up.

"Wait, aren't you gonna sleep? It helps your battery or something, doesn't it?"

"I will soon," Connor answered. "For now, I want to keep watch for about half an hour. After the tunnels stopped being used, who's to say that unwanted guests haven't moved in?"

"... Okay, have fun." Gavin was too tired to give a fuck. He closed his eyes, and within minutes, he was asleep.

_Gavin ran towards the manhole with Nines at his side. A hand gripped his shoulder and hauled him backwards, and he was shot in the chest. Gavin looked down to see no wound. Instead, Nines fell down onto his knees, blue blood pooling from a hole in his chest._

_"No!" Gavin screamed out, clutching Nines. But the android body was now a shell of someone who was permanently gone. Gavin's hair was gripped and he was hauled backwards, and he was suddenly surrounded by androids who have assaulted him. They were chanting._

_"Fuck up. Fuck up. Fuck up."_

_Gavin turned and ran by ducking beneath one of them and running. He skidded to a halt when he was met with Angelica, except her eyes were a glazed white._

_"My death was your fault!"_

_Her neck wounds began to bleed at an impossibly fast rate. Gavin started to run, but he was taken under by waves of blood. Gavin desperately thrashed around, but he couldn't escape. He surfaced and tried his best to keep afloat, gasping heavily as the blood tried to pull him under. In the black sky, he saw the face of Tina._

_"I thought we were friends. You watched me die."_

_Gavin felt overwhelmed with remorse, guilt, grief, sorrow. He tried to scream, but he began to cough up blood. Unable to fight any more, Gavin let himself sink into the ocean of dark red until it all faded to black._

Gavin sat up and gasped loudly. He took deep breaths and looked down at his shaking hands. Connor, who had gotten to sleep, sat up as well with alarm on his face.

"Gavin, what's wrong?"

Gavin opened his mouth to speak, but all he could manage was a choked sob. Feeling ashamed, he put his face into his hands. Connor began to rub his back.

"Nightmare?" Connor guessed.

Gavin nodded. He got a grip of his emotions and forced himself to stop crying. He wiped his eyes and uncovered his face, taking uneven breaths.

"I had a nightmare, yeah," Gavin verbally confirmed. "About Nines, and Angelica, and Tina."

"Tina as in, from the DPD?" Connor said, his eyebrows flying up a little.

"Yeah. I could've saved her two years ago, but I didn't. I didn't because I'm a foolish coward. I'm not strong, I'm... not strong. Weak. It's why I always put on that masquerade to seem like I was strong and what people expect of me."

"You seemed like an asshole," Connor murmured. Louder, he said, "It was not your fault. You were overwhelmed by panic, you could not have known she would have been shot that day. No human saw it coming."

_No human saw it coming._

Gavin nodded. "I suppose you're right. But it doesn't shake the feelings I have." He forced himself to lay back down. After calming down a bit more, Gavin closed his eyes and slipped into a dreamless sleep.

Gavin woke up with a start. He got up and stretched.

"You're awake," Connor said, looking at Gavin. "Pack up, we should get moving."

"Okay." Gavin got up and rolled up the sleeping bag. "Where even are we going? We can't exactly know what direction to head in if we don't even know where we're headed."

"I don't know. We will travel until we find somewhere," Connor said. "Human Jericho is our hoped location, but I don't have much of a clue of how to get there."

"This is so goddamn stressful and confusing."

"I know," Connor muttered. "Come now. We'll get through this. We have to."

"What if we don't, Connor?" Gavin abruptly asked. "We could run out of food or drink, you could run out of battery, you... I... We... Damn it!"

Gavin turned and punched the wall. "I just wish I could live normally and have a break for once."

Connor slowed down. "We can stop."

"That's not what I meant." Gavin continued walking. "I want a break from feeling so scared. And I... I don't want things to be hidden from me anymore."

"Which is understandable," Connor said, speeding up. "You don't want information held from you."

"Yeah. And I also want Nines, but that's a different topic."

"Hopefully he could catch up to us in the next few days and drop in for a visit," Connor said. "He'll be able to find my location, but on a secure network so no one else can access it. And when he finds us, he could tell us where we are."

"Unless we find another sign," Gavin said.

"Indeed. But we can't rely on signs, nor can we rely on Nines. Let's just keep moving until you need to stop. If we need to, we can find a large station and explore the different tunnels."

"Sounds good to me."

And with that, the pair continued on their journey with a silence settled between them.  
  


**∆°∆°∆**

**A/N**

**Hey everyone! Sorry this update took a bit longer than usual, I've been busy with school work and I've been dealing with writers block. But I'll keep updating at least once a month**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Gavin didn't know how much time had passed. He had lost track. His days were just walking down a seemingly endless tunnel, hearing nothing but his own footsteps alongside Connor's.

Gavin's body was screaming for them to stop. He had been so out of shape due to the neglect when being kept prisoner. His legs were aching badly along with the rest of his body. 

The occasional grunt or groan escaped Gavin, but was given absolutely no response on Connor's part. By this point, Connor was adjusted to the sounds that Gavin made and it became like white noise to him. This included sounds that Connor wished he would never have to experience again for as long as his wiring worked.

Gavin was slowly going crazy due to the fact that the majority of what his conscious mind knew at this point was the continuous walking. He and Connor stopped for Gavin to sleep and have meals, and they stopped for a break every few hours. Even with the generous breaks, Gavin's body was aching.

Soon, Gavin sat down on the cold concrete.

"I can't fucking… Agh, nothing but stupid nothing is driving me nuts!" He angrily snapped, clutching onto his own hair.

Connors crouched beside him. "We will get out of here soon. We can find somewhere to stay where you can be safe and happy."

"Yeah, you say that. But when will it happen? Huh Connor? When will it happen!?" Gavin yelled. "I should've stayed! I should've stayed back at where I was."

"And remain a slave? A prisoner? I gave up everything to come help you. Nines risked his position."

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life wandering tunnels. I'd rather be back there. At least I could see outside through the glass… here I can't see shit except for what I point my flashlight at. Why did the androids do this shit, huh? If androids didn't want to be killed and be made slaves, why the hell did they pull that shit on humans!? Don't you have any empathy!?"

Connor looked away. "Not all of us have to be empathetic, Gavin."

"Well why does this have to happen!?"

"You should talk to Nines about it when he's here."

Gavin heaved an irritated sigh that slightly hurt his throat from the force. "You're no fucking help. Why couldn't Nines just… Gah!"

"It's best to have Nines out above. He's trying all he can. After seeing you hurt that day, his sole mission was to make sure you are safe. Your safety requires sacrifices," Connor said. "Now, can we continue moving?"

"Hold up." Gavim had a swig of water before standing up. "Yeah. Let's go."

Gavin and Connor walked for another hour in silence before Connor abruptly stopped. Gavin looked at him. It wasn't like Connor to just stop like that, and he was a little concerned that Connor's wiring had suddenly stopped working.

"Nines will be here to meet us within the next day or so," Connor said. 

So his wiring didn't suddenly stop working. Cool. That's a good thing at least, Gavin thought. At least, I think so. He has been a bit harsh- what am I thinking? He's doing it to make sure we don't get captured and die. Or be enslaved again. Or die. Wait, I thought that- okay and my thoughts have turned into a ramble.

"That's great news, thank you," Gavin said as if his brain did not just intimate a scrambled egg.

"Indeed. He could bring more supplies," Connor said.

"Cool. Where can I piss?"

Connor stared at Gavin for a few moments. "You can just wait until we hit a bathroom. Like we have been doing."

"Yeah but I need to piss," Gavin said. Connor sighed deeply.

"Go to the direction of where we came and drain yourself of your bodily fluids there," Connor said. He could not believe that keeping this human alive was like taking care of a huge baby. "Wait. Where were you pissing before?"

"Bathrooms after holding it in," Gavin replied. He wasted no time walking in the direction of where they came from, taking a leak, then returning to Connor. When he was pissing, he thought he heard a strange sound, but it didn't last longer than two seconds so he thought nothing of it.

"Now do we have to start walking again?"

"Yes. I was thinking we walk for another half hour and then settle down," Connor said. "You deserve a longer break time. You have been walking a lot, and your body is exhausted I don't doubt."

"Yes. Exactly. Thank you," Gavin said.

"Then let's go."

Gavin and Connor walked for exactly half an hour before they sat down and set up a place to stay. Gavin had some canned tuna and Connor drank thirium.

"You should sleep first," Gavin said. "I mean, if it helps your battery charge, then you should definitely do that."

"No," Connor said a little too quickly. "Because you are human. You need to sleep."

"So do you. The portable chargers won't last forever," Gavin pointed out. "Anyways, you deserve a break. C'mon, Connor. Sleep."

Connor seemed reluctant, but he lay down and got comfortable.

"Cool," Gavin said. "Wait, question. How do you talk with Nines?"

"We are androids."

"... Can't argue with that logic. Night, Connor."

"Goodnight."

Gavin turned off his flashlight. There was a flickering light nearby that allowed Gavin the slight ability to see. He stayed awake for about five minutes before becoming deathly bored, deciding 'fuck you', and going to sleep on top of his sleeping bag.

Gavin woke up from a bad, bad feeling deep in his gut. He sat up and looked around, quickly waking up from the fear coursing through him. 

Low, growling sounds rumbled and echoed off the walls. The sound was similar to what Gavin had heard when peeing earlier.

With the dim light, Gavin made out a figure slowly crawling towards him. He felt his heartbeat quicken as he shook Connor. As Connor woke up and sat up, Gavin pointed his flashlight into the shadows.

A horrifying android creature composed of mostly arms and eyes was crawling towards them. Gavin felt as if he was stick in some twisted horror movie. With a shaking hand, he moved the light around and spotted more. One had a dog body, but there were two heads - one cat and one dog. The dog half was half ripped off.

A third was a seemingly normal android - until it's mouth opened. The mouth open wide, revealing pristine razor-sharp teeth.

Connor quickly stood up, but he seemed frozen. His eyes were wide and he seemed to be in shock at the sight of the android abominations.

"We have to go!" Gavin yelped, tugging at Connor's arm. But he didn't move. Gavin stuffed his sleeping bag into his backpack before tugging at Connor's arm again. "Connor, please, come on."

The androids were still slowly circling the pair. There seemed to be more by the minute. If Gavin said he was scared, that would be an understatement. He was petrified.

"Connor let's go!" He said desperately. When there was no response, Gavin forced Connor's backpack onto Connor's body. He then grabbed Connor's hand and ran for an opening. Connor's body responded with running, but his android equivalent to a mind still seemed to be frozen.

Gavin ran and ran, tugging the android behind him. Seeing Connor being unresponsive was scary, to say the least. 

Gavin managed to lose the androids after turning a few corners with Connor. They were lost, but they were alive. Gavin sat down and panted heavily.

He shook Connor. "Connor. Connor? Snap out of it. We're safe now… I think. I hope."

After a few moments, Connor blinked. "Gavin."

"Connor, my god! I thought you stopped working or something."

"I was overwhelmed with shock and horror. Nothing like that should exist," Connor said. "I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve to see that. I didn't know they were that bad."

"Connor, what are you talking about?" Gavin asked.

"I had an idea that they exist," Connor said. "I had been sending out a special signal so they wouldn't sense you. They're trained to kill humans to lower the number of living humans," Connor explained. "Sleeping cut off the signal. I feared it might. I shouldn't have slept. I had no idea that those things would look like that. Seeing my own species, so twisted…"

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Gavin mumbled. 

"Now they know that you're here. We have to be more careful. They belong to Nines' superiors."

"So androids are enslaving other androids. What fucking hypocrites," Gavin growled under his breath.

"I know. Never once did I like this new system that was implemented. Sleep now, Gavin. For obvious reasons, I will remain awake."

Gavin nodded. He took his sleeping bag out of his backpack and slipped into it. Gavin closed his eyes and went to sleep.

. . .

Fun fact: the 20,000th word of this story was "piss"


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Gavin was standing in front of a crowd. The sun was bright and the sky barely had a cloud to be seen. They were all chanting his name.

"Gavin! Gavin! Gavin!"

Gavin felt overwhelmed with pride and a sense of accomplishment.

"We did it."

"Gavin! Gavin! Gavin!"

Connor looked at Gavin and smiled proudly. "Yes we did."

"Gavin! Gavin! Gavin!"

Gavin woke up to Connor shaking him.

"Gavin. Gavin. Gavin."

"Fuck your shut up," Gavin groaned, placing his hand on Connor's face. He felt something wet and he looked at him with disgust. "Did you just lick me!?"

"I panicked," Connor said.

"Ew. There are literally a ton of things you could've done instead. Why did you wake me?"

"Because we can't sleep too long. Those mutant… Android things know that we are down here."

"Right. How long was I asleep for?"

"Seven point four hours."

Gavin took a moment to stare at Connor. "Okay. I'm not going to ask how you calculated that so, with your, android powers."

"I assure you, the only powers I handle are the electrify that keeps my battery going."

I forgot about that, Gavin thought. I mean, I was thinking about it yesterday. Or the day before. Who knows what day it is? Actually, Connor might.

"Do you know what time it is?" Gavin asked.

"I told you already. I've disabled my clock and calender to help conserve battery and make me more untraceable."

"Then how did you know I slept for seven point two hours?"

"Seven point four hours," Connor corrected. "I can still count. And I may have started a timer. Technically, it's not connected to time."

"Connor. It's called a timer. It is literally connected to time. This feels like some unexplained plothole in a book."

"Well, this is not a book. This is reality," Connor said. "And reality can be confusing. The courses of fate can spiral into so many different choices, depending on what you do. And your choices can determine your future and sometimes, the future of others."

"Okay cool but that doesn't explain the time thing," Gavin said.

Similar to Nines, Connor chose to ignore him.

Gavin decided to bring it up. "You know… You kinda are like Nines in some different ways. If you were human I'd almost think that you were twins."

"I mean, we have a nearly identical appearance," Connor said. "But Nines tends to be more cold towards others, whereas on the other hand, I tend to be more… Warm. Using temperatures to determine personality types is strange. Anyhow, there are occasions that Nines is warm and I am cold."

"Nines is quite…warm with me," Gavin replied. "I'm starting to think that he might be gay."

Connor gave a disappointed look.

"Yeah I'm not even going to comment on that."

Gavin was a bit taken aback but he didn't say anything. He packed up and had a sip of his water before standing up straight. Gavin turned on his flashlight.

"Okay. I'm ready to go."

"Cool. Some time throughout the day - or night - we will be meeting with Nines."

Gavin suddenly brightened from a generally gloomy and unbothered state. It had totally slipped his mind that Nines would be visiting. "Oh, yeah!" He said happily. "Cool. Can't wait."

"You seem awfully excited," Connor teased.

Not used to teasing from Connor, Gavin pouted in response as he felt his cheeks go red. "Y-Yeah, well, I haven't seen him in a while and he's great."

Connor had a grin on his face as he rolled his eyes. Gavin wasn't sure if he had ever seen Connor smile like this - even outside of these damp situations. 

"Okay, Gavin. Let's get moving, hm?"

The pair walked through the abandoned tunnels. They had to be cautious due to the mutant androids lurking the tunnels alongside them; and both parties were aware of the presence of their rivals.

At the end of one of the tunnels, Gavin's flashlight shone right at an upright figure walking towards them. Shocked, Gavin jumped and his flashlight fumbled in his hands, but he didn't drop it.

Connor's eyes brightened and he walked faster. He dragged Gavin with him as the shock passed.

Gavin realised that the figure was none other than Nines. Excitedly, he straighted up his spin and picked up his walking pace.

Gavin and Connor reached Nines at the same time.

"Hello," Nines greeted. "I'm glad to see you two." 

Connor pulled Nines into a hug. Nines hugged back, and then he pulled Gavin into his own hug. Gavin froze up and blushed.

Gavin felt a hand rest on the back of his neck. Then, he was turned around and Nines was looking at the back of his neck.

"Gavin, you have a cut. What happened?"

In the midst of the monster attack and the hyper fixation of getting to safety, Gavin must have not noticed that he was struck by a claw that barely snagged his skin.

"Monster… Mutant… Things. They attacked us," Gavin answered.

Connor frowned and tensed up. He was clearly not comfortable with this conversation.

"Describe them," Nines said.

"They were… a mix of… different android and android animals. God, they were horrifying."

Gavin saw Nines' face fall. "Do you know what they are?" Gavin asked.

Nines didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Connor. "Connor, could you transfer to me images of them?"

"I don't want to see them again…"

"Please," Nines insisted. "I need to know."

Connor sighed. He grabbed Nines' forearm, and Nines did the same with Connor. Gavin watch the skin on their arms fade and their expressions become a neutral stare. After a few moments, they disconnected. Connor seemed pained by the transaction, and he stared at the ground. On the other hand, Nines looked irritated.

"I'm not surprised that this is their assigned use," Nines growled.

"You know what they are?" Gavin said, surprised.

"Yes. They are combination experiments. I partially oversaw the management of their creation project. It was an assignment from my bosses. I did not know that this was their intended purpose, but I would not put it past them."

"Can you shut them off?" Connor asked. "I don't get how you could make yourself do a whole project on them. They're, not meant to exist, they're…"

"I know. I wasn't too pleased either. I can shut them off, yes, but it's too risky - it would alert my superiors. But, I can try my best to make them steer clear of your path. Allow me to work on that while I'm gone."

While I'm gone. Those words reminded Gavin that Nines wouldn't be with them for long. That thought made him quite sad.

"Oh. Yeah. Right. Please do. But for now, let's just… Chill."

"I was thinking I would accompany you for a few hours, then stop at a place to sleep. I brought you a portable battery, Connor, so you don't have to use the one you have."

Connor smiled. "Thank you."

Nines turned to Gavin again. "Wanna hold my hand?"

"Fuck you."

They held hands anyway.

Nines announced it was 9pm when they stopped. There was a bathroom along the way, as well as a canteen with food and water still in date, so you can take a wild guess as to what Gavin did there.

Gavin flopped onto the floor with a dramatic groan. He opened up his backpack and removed his sleeping bag. 

Nines, having his own backpack, pulled out another sleeping bag and a double blanket. Gavin cheerfully curled up with them, certainly enjoying the extra warmth.

Nines murmured quietly with Connor for a couple of minutes before Connor walked a little bit further down and paused.

Gavin watched as Nines carefully lay down beside him in his 'nest'. Gavin was still for a few moments before practically flinging his body at Nines and cuddling up to his chest.

Nines flung an arm around Gavin who cuddled up to him. Gavin had a dorky smile on his face. He absolutely loved having Nines' arms around him.

"Gavin."

Nines' soft voice broke the silence. Gavin looked up at him

"Yes?"

"Is it normal to hurt when we are separated?"

"... Yes."

"I see."

There was silence. Nines pulled Gavin closer.

"Gavin."

"Yes?"

"Have you ever felt love?"

Gavin's lips adopted a small frown. He remembered the person he had loved years ago.

"Yes…"

"I see."

More silence.

"Gavin?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we?"

Gavin sat up. So did Nines.

"I-I… I don't know Nines."

Gavin felt his hand mindlessly land on Nines' chest.

"Hopefully, this will give me some answers."

Before Gavin can process anything, he felt a pair of warm lips against his own.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Nines was kissing Gavin. Kissing him. He was absolutely taken aback. His cheeks completely flushed red and he froze up. He felt his heart bit severely increase.

Gavin ripped his mouth away from Nines. "Hey! I did not say you could do that. Consent, bitch."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I-"

Gavin grabbed Nines' face and pulled him into a rougher, sloppier kiss. Nines was shocked, and his cheeks went a deep blue, but he melted into the kiss after a moment.

Gavin pulled away after a bit of time.

"Didn't you just lecture me about consent?" Nines asked with a grin on his face.

Gavin shrugged. "You weren't opposed."

"Touché."

Gavin watched Nines set his hands on his hips. Gavin carefully slung his arms around Nines' neck. With some caution, they both leaned into a kiss. Firm, yet full of sweetness.

As they kissed, Gavin felt Nines softly rubbing his hips. Gavin pressed his body against Nines more, wanting to gain more intimacy. 

The kisses slowly got more passionate, and the simple kiss became heated. Gavin only paused to breathe. He moved up onto Nines' lap, who held his hips tighter. Who could blame them? They had been lusting after each other for over two years.

Soon enough, Gavin disconnected the kiss. He was flustered and trying to get his breathing under control.

"That was great," he panted. "You're an amazing kisser."

"So are you," Nines responded. He lay down and Gavin was quick to cuddle back up to him.

"To answer your question, we can be… something. If you want to," Gavin said.

"Of course, I would love to," Nines answered. He pulled Gavin closer to him and his face brightened with a grin. "I'm so happy."

After seeing Nines so delighted, Gavin couldn't repress his own dorky smile. "So am I?"

Gavin nuzzled his head close into Nines' chest. The pair lay together in silence, until the sound of Connor's voice broke it.

"Is it over? Am I able to appear without being scarred? Is it safe?"

"Yeah," Gavin replied. "You dramatic ass bitch."

"That's you," Nines said.

"Die."

"That's not something nice to say to your boyfriend."

It clicked in Gavin's mind that he and Nines are boyfriends now. Two men with feelings for each other. Gavin was in a stunned silence for not too long.

"Uhh… fuck you."

"It'd be the other way around, would it not? You're not exactly top material."

"Yeah bro I'm not a shirt," Gavin said. "Wait. No. Fuck. Damn it I'm turning into you!"

"Okay lovebirds, you may wanna go to sleep already," Connor interjected.

"Connor's right," Nines said. "Let's sleep."

"Okay, dickhead. Is there a way to say dickhead affectionately?"

"Hush," Nines replied.

"Right. Sorry. Bye. Night. Bi night."

Gavin closed his eyes. Nines' arms wrapped around his lower waist and back. Gavin felt so safe in his arms. Gavin tried to sleep, but his heart rate was so high that it was difficult. He managed it after some time, though.

Gavin felt himself eventually drift off to sleep. 

Gavin woke up in Nines' arms. He opened his eyes and looked up, being absolutely confused due to forgetting that they were cuddling.

"Oh yeah," Gavin said aloud to himself. He felt his cheeks flush with colour as he looked at the sleeping Nines. "This is gay, not gonna lie."

Nines opened his eyes. He bore a little smile and his eyes were gleaming, yet soft. "We are in a relationship. I do believe that this may, in fact, be gay."

"... You gotta like. Not," Gavin said. "If it wasn't for my amazing skills I would have jolted or flinched or whatever the word is."

"Both would have sufficed, but flinched would be more true to the situation."

"Thank you, ya fucking nerd."

"We should get moving," Nines said.

"Nooo." Gavin buried his face in Nines' chest. "Five more minutes. You're comfy."

"Five? Okay."

"Bitch, everyone knows… Oh. Right. Huh. I guess you'll never understand the process and knowledge gained by being raised by parents or carers."

"At least I didn't have to waste many years being educated, with most of it meaning nothing in the end. The human school system was confusing, quite useless and highly flawed."

"Cheers to that," Gavin said. "I wish I could've seen my stupid teacher's faces when they realised that their work meant nothing."

"It is not the teachers. They were doing what they had to to take care of themselves and their family. It was the creators of the scholarly curriculum. Who's brainless idea was it to have money and ranks anyway? Every human deserves food, shelter, water and rights."

"You are so right. The human society was fucking stupid and generally fucked up. I wish androids could've let some more of us live. Wait. Don't you use money?"

"Our ways are…a bit different. Instead of money, you get 'points'. You get more from whatever you do. More points equals higher quality and quantity with what you can purchase. Every purchase takes one point. If you go below 0, you get very basic things until they refill. You refill your points by working, service, things like that.”

“... So it’s money.”

“No,” Nines groaned. “No matter what, you have access to housing and thirium. There’s just different tiers.”

“Confused, but okay,” Gavin said.

"Homosexuals," Connor began, addressing the group in a bold manner. Both heads turned towards him. 

"We should continue on our quest to find human Jericho and get Gavin and I to safety," Connor said. 

"I hope this place even exists,"Gavin said. "I'm losing hope."

"Don't." Nines took Gavin's hand. "We will find this safe place. Even if we don't, we will find somewhere else, okay?"

"Okay. I trust you."

"Let us get moving," Nines said.

The trio then proceeded to walk. That's all they have been doing - walking. But Gavin was fine, he was holding Nines' hand.

Gavin eventually complained about being tired. Nines responded with a grunt, and the picking Gavin up. Gavin nuzzled his face into Nines' shoulder as he was held by him.

"Thank you," Gavin mumbled.

Nines kissed the side of Gavin's head. "Of course."

The walking was pretty boring, but Gavin was happier now that he was with Nines. Especially being held, that was a bonus.

Gavin ended up falling asleep in Nines' arms. Nines noticed and readjusted so Gavin was being carried bridal style.

They walked to a new location to sleep. Nines set out Gavin's bed, set him in it, then gently shook him.

Gavin groaned deeply and opened his eyes after a moment. "Mmmgh, whaaaat?"

"I'm going to leave. Goodbye."

He quickly sat up. "Aww, what? Damn, okay…" Gavin sighed. He reached out and kissed Nines softly. 

Nines kissed back, moving his lips skillfully. After they broke the kiss, Nines pulled Gavin into a sweet embrace.

"Goodbye. I'll miss you," Gavin mumbled.

"I'll miss you too."

Nines turned and left. Gavin watched him walk away, and he heaved a sad sigh.

Gavin lay back down and pushed the way the depression creeping in. Just as he was about to sleep, he was quickly brought back to reality by sudden commotion.

"Who's there?" Connor yelled.

Gavin turned his attention to what Connor was looking at. Out of the darkness stepped someone that Gavin thought he would never see again.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Gavin's jaw dropped as he watched the person emerge from out of the darkness. Shock coursed through his body as a flashback of the day of the massacre ripped through his mind.

"Hank fucking Anderson. The fuck are you doing alive?"

Hank was a lieutenant at the Detroit Police Station; a superior officer to Gavin. They had always been openly hostile towards each other, with Gavin's ambitions making it so he was jealous about Hank's achievements. Hank was older and more experienced, but he still had felt resent - and the aggressive nature of both parties didn't help.

Gavin had remembered Hank being taken away by androids, and he had just presumed that it would be so he could be murdered. Seeing the unhealthy old man alive was something that he was not expecting.

"I could ask you the same thing," Hank replied. 

As Gavin tried to process that his former coworker was alive and standing right in front of him.

"Hank!" Connor yelled out, launching himself at the human and giving him a tight hug. "I haven't seen you since…"

"Hey Connor," he chuckled whilst hugging back.

"What, you gay or something?" Gavin sneered.

"No, but you are quite that with Nines," Connor said. "Don't be hypocritical."

"Whatever." Gavin stepped towards Hank. "How are you alive, old man? You're not the healthiest person."

"Well, how are you alive?" Hank asked.

"I'm barely alive. Every day has been a struggle. There is no escape from this eternal, impending doom. About two days ago I saw creatures not meant to exist. I have been malnourished, underfed, and have been lacking sleep for two years."

"... Okay then. Well, that sucks for you but I haven't been too better off. Getting food is tough, and a lack of liquor makes me wanna die," Hank said. "Where's Eloise?"

"Eloise? You mean the back-stabbing bitch?" Gavin responded with venom lacing his tone. 

"What? Gavin, she's not like that. What happened?" Hank demanded. He seemed alarmed now. 

"She disappeared and not too long after, Connor and I were being chased by androids," Gavin said. "Obviously, it was her."

"Oh no." Hank was clearly dismayed. "No wonder why she hadn't contacted me! Gavin, she wouldn't have betrayed you. She would've been captured."

"... Oh."

Hank seemed stressed. He gripped at his hair. "Fucking damn it! She was a great person to have around. She was probably discovered to be a human smuggler… ugh."

"Either way. You're alive. I…"

The situation hit Gavin, finally. In front of him was another human – a human giving Gavin hope that there are others alike them.

"It's a good fucking thing I found you!" Hank suddenly said. "These tunnels are dangerous. You're lucky that I knew you were coming. I was going to meet your group halfway, but when you weren't there I figured something must have happened. You were taking the slowest route, by the way, ya fucking idiots. Not you Connor, mostly just Gavin."

Gavin flipped him off. "Fuck you."

"Apparently that's Nines' job," Hank said with no hesitation. Anyways, those monsters you mentioned? The numbers get a lot worse as we go along. Do you have weapons?"

"What do you mean by weapons? 'The fuck would I get that shit from?" Gavin replied.

"You are here without weapons!? You really are stupid!" Hank snapped. "You would've died if I hadn't found you! Here, I might have something." 

Into Gavin's hands, Hank thrusted a machete and a spear, all the while grumbling about how incompetent that Gavin was. He then handed Connor a few daggers and throwing knives.

"Thanks," Connor said. "I can throw these quite well."

"I know," Hank replied. "Remember that time you were given novelty throwing knives to take down a perp because you ran out of bullets?"

"Yes, it was a bit of a stressful situation and I'm glad that said knives were available," Connor said.

"Such a random but helpful thing. How did you know what to do anyway? Like, how did you know how to throw one? It's pretty hard to grow these good."

"I'm an android."

"Okay everyone shut up. Hank, what do you mean by we could've died?" Gavin asked.

"Obviously, the androids are an issue," he grunted. "The mutated ones, I mean. They could easily kill us all single-handedly."

"That might be a bit of an overstatement, they don't seem to be that strong," Gavin said.

"Some of them I've encountered are capable of it. They're appalling, dangerous creatures. A freak of… Not nature. They shouldn't exist."

"Agreed," Gavin said. "So where are we going to be taken? By you."

"I live in a place where we are barely surviving, but we are. A ragtag group of humans trying our hardest to survive."

"Human Jericho," Gavin murmured.

"I mean, I guess. We share everything we obtain - good thing androids eat human food."

"Sounds like the best place for me at this point," Gavin said. A sigh escaped his lips. "I wish this whole fucking android takeover thing never happened."

"Agreed. I miss alcohol, it's rare to get hold of it these days in these conditions," Hank replied. "Any who, we should get going. But before that, didn't you mention Nines? That's RK900, right? Where is he?"

"He remains above in the life I left," Connor said. "He is still free."

Gavin felt a frown drop down his lips. He hadn't considered the fact that Connor would listen the perfect life he had left. For him. Gavin didn't understand why someone would make such a sacrifice for him. He didn't see himself to be worth it.

"I always knew you had a good heart, Connor," Hank said fondly. "Um. Thirium pump, I mean."

Another thing Gavin never truly observed - the closeness of Hank and Connor. Hank was sour towards Connor at the beginning, but they grew to have a good friendship. 

"We should go. Lead the way, Hank," Gavin said sharply. "Wow. Never thought I'd say that. It's a new world, truly."

"Shut up," Hank scoffed. "Follow me. Traps shut."

Gavin bit back a sly remark as he and Connor formed a single file line behind Hank, with Connor taking up the rear.

Hank led the way through the dark tunnels. He took a few narrow turns hidden by the darkness, which explained why Gavin and Connor had taken what Hank described as the long route. The tight, narrow passages gave Gavin the creeps. There were a few shivers running up his spine. Things didn't feel right.

Gavin turned to look at Connor. "I don't like this. Can we wait for Nines to get back before we go any further?"

Hank, who had heard what had been said, turned around and glared at Gavin. "Are you being for real? We can't afford to stop moving."

"Yes. Yes, I am. I'm not going any further without him." Gavin defiantly sat on the ground.

"Gavin, please let's keep going," Connor said with light undertones of distress in his voice.

"No! I'm staying right here."

Hank scowled. "Well, if you have a fucking death wish then you can stay here. But I'm not."

"No, Hank! Gah… I'll call Nines. This is so stupid, Gavin," Connor said. He was still for a moment as he used an encrypted network to call Nines.

"Nines? Yes, yes it's me, Connor. Gavin is being stubborn and won't move along any further without you. We have found Hank… Yes, Hank Anderson, he is alive… I sent you my location… A few hours? Sounds great. Thank you. Goodbye."

Connor looked at Gavin, and then Hank. "Nines will be here in a few hours, approximately three and a half."

"Let's at least move somewhere safe. C'mon, I know a place nearby," Hank said.

Gavin had a shit eating grin on his face. He couldn't help but enjoy getting his own way; it was just in his blood. Hank led the tiny group to a storage closet. It wasn't too spacious but it was enough.

Gavin set out his sleeping blanket because, well, he wanted to sleep whilst waiting for Nines. It was like a time machine to seeing his dummy android boyfriend. Wait, no - Gavin is clearly the dummy boyfriend.

Gavin launched himself at his sleeping bag, earning himself a well-due "What the fuck?" from Hank. Gavin grunted, zipped himself up in the sleeping bag, and tried to sleep.

Hank started talking to Connor, so Gavin said, "Shut the fuck up."

Hank sighed deeply. "I can't fucking believe I chose to help you." Either way, he fell silent, so Gavin smugly went to sleep.

When Gavin woke up a few hours later, it was due to being shaken. He groaned softly; he had obtained a headache from the nap he had. 

Gavin opened his eyes to see Nines gazing gently back at him. Those icy eyes were soft and full of warmth, that within itself a contradiction but, in some ways, their relationship could be labelled a contradiction.

Those melted icy caps gave way to the first frost of autumn, to a gentle snowfall barely coating the lawn. Light blue skies when the sun isn't quite up, a kiss of flowing streams bringing music to the ears of those who stay silent to listen.

Oh, damn those gorgeous blue eyes.

"Hi," Gavin greeted softly. He could get used to waking up seeing him beside him. "When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago," Nines said. "I wanted to let you rest for longer, you are adorable when you're asleep, but Hank was not happy with waiting. He has as colourful language as you do, Gavin."

"Shit your pants," Gavin said. "Or I'll do it for you."

"Alas, my point has been proven."

Gavin slowly sat up. "Perish." He looked at Hank. "You too." Then Connor. "You're on thin fucking ice."

"What did I do?" Connor said, dismayed.

"Nothing, I just didn't want you to feel left out," Gavin said.

Gavin got up and packed his sleeping bag away. He had to squash it into his bag due to size. "Show us the way, Hank."

Hank sighed in response.

"And they have not physically fought for how long, now?" Nines asked, looking at Connor.

"Approximately five hours, including Gavin's unconsciousness."

"That is a record."

"We can hear you, dipshits," Hank said over his shoulder, unimpressed.

Hank led the group through a series of weaving tunnels. Gavin was getting the creeps again. He hated this.

Just as Hank took a dark turn, Gavin yelled out, "Wait!"

Hank looked back at him. "What?"

"That tunnel is creepy as fuck. Can't we go the other way?"

Hank looked like he was about to kill Gavin and then himself. "No, Gavin. We cannot go the other fucking way. I know where we are going. Are you stupid?"

"We should go this way, it seems better!" Gavin argued.

"I know where I'm going, dumbass!"

The two squabbled about what way to go before Nines sighed deeply. "Just go his way, Gavin doesn't back down from a fight."

"Clearly," Hank rumbled. "Fine. Let's go this way. Goddamn morons, this'll teach them…"

Hank led the group down the tunnel with the better lighting, causing Gavin to relax a bit. He was so sure about himself and that he was the one in the right.

Hank led them further down the passage. The lighting got dimmer and Hank stopped. 

"We should head back," he said.

"No. Let's keep going."

"Gavin-"

Gavin shoved Hank aside and stubbornly power walked down the tunnel, so far until he plunged into darkness. It started with brightness; it must be fine.

Gavin heard the footsteps of the others quickly follow him. 

"Gavin, hold on," Nines said. "We should not continue down this route."

"Why not?"

"I just know, trust me!" Nines was starting to sound desperate, which caught Gavin off guard - but it still didn't completely shake him.

Gavin felt sharp nails dig deep into his arms. "Nines, get the fuck off me."

"That isn't me."

Gavin felt his stomach plunge at those words. More nails sunk into his other arm, causing Gavin to topple over with a scream.

"Gah, get off me-" Gavin cut himself off with a screech as he felt teeth digging into his shoulder, right at the base of his neck.

"Hold on!" Nines yelled, fumbling to find his flashlight. Gavin was pinned down and felt claws rip down his torso, resulting in a pained screech.

Nines reached forward and pulled the creature off of Gavin, just to be knocked over by another. Hank and Connor rushed into the scene. Connor began to wrestle a nearly human-like creature. No one had time to grab out the weapons that Hank had given to them.

Hank shot one in the face with an angry growl, watching it slump over. Gavin got over his shot and socked one in the jaw.

Connor had another creature jump on him, and he fell to the ground. With a swift movement, one of them pulled out his thirium pump.

At the all-too-familiar sound, Nines looked at Connor and shone his flashlight at him. "Connor? Connor!"

Hank used his pistol and shot accurately at the creatures before crouching next to Connor with frightened eyes. Gavin knelt down next to Connor, with a gasp. He could only stare with dismay at Connor, who was shuddering on the ground.

"H-Help," Connor croaked out.

Nines pulled something out of his bag and put it in where Connor's pump was. "This will keep him alive for a maximum of thirty minutes, but he will be weak. Grab the pump, Hank."

Hank fetched the thirium pump and handed it to Nines. Just as Nines was about to exchange the temporary pump with Connor's real one, he was knocked over.

Nines let our a startled yelp as he struggled against the attacker. As Hank and Gavin moved to help, their hands were grabbed and tied behind his back. Connor remained a trembling heap on the floor.

A flashlight was shone right onto Nines' face. He squinted, not wanting to risk having his eyes damaged. 

"Nines, master Nines, sir Nines, it's you you yoooouu!" He cried out. "And you're here with Gavin Reed, but he isn't meant to be here, isn't he? No no no, he's meant to be in building #J730! You've been a bad boy, have you not, sir Nines? Sneaking a human out here? They'll praise me for catching you! They'll praise me, they'll praise me! I'll be able to surface again!"

"Project CC#478… You're, looking well…"

"Hmm oh well am I really? Look at me, sir Nines! Look at me! I'm twisted and broken." A chuckle escaped their lips. "I cannot wait for you to be seen with the runaway! Oh yes, the runaway human shall meet his well deserved due~ Humans don't deserve life, oh no! But sadly it's against protocol to take it. Too bad you're the cost of bringing him in, sir Nines. You're going to be seeing my base in all it's glory! Let's goooo~."

Gavin looked at Nines with wide eyes. He could barely comprehend what on Earth just happened. He looked at Connor and the guilt hit him again.

This is all your fault, Gavin.

Gavin felt his breath hitch in his throat as his brain created intrusive thoughts.

They will all die because of you.

Gavin, Hank, Nines and Connor were dragged down a tunnel to an empty stretch. They were tied up side by side by a large concrete column. Hank and Nines struggled against their restraints, as Connor remained near the android equivalent of unconsciousness. Gavin was being crushed by his own thoughts and beliefs that he was not enough, that this was all his fault.

Eventually, Hank and Nines stopped struggling. They were left virtually unguarded due to such thick restraints.

"We should've just gone left, we wouldn't be in this mess," Nines said.

"I said so to but then Gavin said we should go the better way," Hank tauntingly sneered.

"Now we are stuck here. Tied up."

"And I'm drawing closer to shutting down," Connor added. His weakness was scarily evident in his tone.

"And what would I do then, without the one person who I actually like?" Hank asked.

Gavin didn't say anything. Everyone was angry at him; and rightfully so. He tried to move his wrist enough so that his hand connected with Nines'. When Nines flinched his hand away, Gavin broke.

Soft sobs escaped him. Gavin was broken. He didn't want to cry, especially in front of Hank. But his stupid antics made it so they were all doomed.

"This is all of my fucking fault just because I didn't want to listen to Hank," Gavin sobbed. "Connor is going to die and we are going to be turned in."

Gavin felt Nines clutch his hand tightly. 

"We'll somehow get out of this, Gavin. I promise."

~~~~~~~~~  
It's nearly Christmas, and my gift to you all is a long chapter! The total word count for this chapter is 2,818 words. I hope you enjoyed it, and happy holidays!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

"We'll somehow get out of this, Gavin. I promise."

Gavin wished that he could believe it, he really did. But he had really, truly fucked up this time - for the most stupidest reasons, too. Gavin honestly occasionally believed he was in some twisted story full of plotholes and dumb tropes from a sleep-deprived teenaged writer.

"Connor, are you doing alright?" Gavin asked, directing his attention to the shaking android. Another thing that burdened him with guilt - Connor having a replacement thirium pump which didn't have much longer until it gives out and furthermore kills Connor.

Connor managed to look at Gavin. "No, Connor. I-I need my thirium pump, now. Nines, do you have it?"

Nines nodded. "Yes, in my pocket."

Connor slumped with relief. He appeared to be attempting to control the trembling, but to no avail.

Gavin heaved a sigh. He struggled against his tight restraints, but it didn't help. He felt so helpless, and defeated.

"We have to get out of here.."

"Well duh Einstein, did you just expect us to sit here and wait to rot? Wait for Connor to die?" Hank replied. "Once we get to human Jericho, you will have a lot of making up to do."

"Right, yeah, I understand," Gavin sighed. "Just stop being such a dick." He then frowned. "Wait, no. Don't stop. I understand why you're like it now. It's because I deserve it. Yeah. I deserve the bullshit you put you through."

"... Okay? It's weird seeing you admit to being a fuckhead, well- as much as you did initially admit to it."

Gavin sighed. "Yeah, well, shut up."

"I think I might be able to get out," Nines suddenly hissed under his breath. He shoved his chest forward, attempting to use the pressure to make the ropes snap. It didn't work, despite Nines' attempts.

"Wait, I have an idea," Gavin said. "Connor, are you flushing out liquid from your system?"

"Yes, it's my synthetic tears mixed with thirium," Connor said.

"Try to slip out of there using those as, um, not pussy juice…Lube."

"I'll try my best." Connor tried to slip out of the constraints, while his system was simultaneously trying to work with the makeshift thirium pump.

"Nines," Gavin started. "In case we don't get out of this, you know, alive and together and all that crap.. I um, really like you."

Gavin felt Nines grab his hand. "I like you too."

Gavin felt a fire ripping throughout his chest; a good fire, one that brought life in its wake instead of destruction. He knew that he would give up his life in an instant, and he had to choose between himself and Nines, he would choose himself as the candidate to die.

"Cool."

"You two stop being gay and try to think on how we're going to get out of this," Hank huffed in a gruffy way. "Just in case Connor's plan doesn't work."

"It already did." Connor sounded a bit victorious as he yanked his hands free. "They didn't even post a guard. Now, to free you all…"

"Connor, put in the thirium pump first," Nines coaxed.

"No. My dedication is to you three, not myself." After he spoke, Connor worked as quickly as he could manage to undo the tight knots that the rope was in.

It took at least a minute, but Connor loosened the ropes enough for the other three to slip out. Quietly, they praised Connor.

"Here." Nines grabbed the thirium pump from out of his pocket and handed it to Connor. Connor ripped out the makeshift pump and inserted a new one with a satisfying click. Gavin saw him physically slump with relief, and he did the same. Connor wasn't going to die today.

"What now?" Gavin asked quietly, not wanting to risk being heard.

"I see a door," Hank said.

"With your eyesight?" Gavin sneered.

"Shut up, Gavin! This isn't the place for that," Nines hissed quietly. Those words caught Gavin off guard, but nonetheless he still shut his trap.

"We can either dash towards the door provided we have a distraction, or we can try to sneak our way out. Sneaking might buy us more time, but it will not be good if we are seen.'

"I say we sneak out," Gavin said. "If we're seen then fuck it, let's run."

Hank pushed to the front of the group. Very cautiously, they began to silently tread towards the door. Gavin's one focus was getting to the other side without being spotted. He was focusing on that so hard, he felt a wave of shock as a hand gripped his shoulder and dragged him roughly behind a barrel.

"Be careful!" Nines hissed, glaring down at Gavin. Gavin didn't understand why Nines being so aggressive. He looked into his eyes, which had an unusual coldness to their already icy state.

Hank and Connor were also behind the barrel - two barrels, Gavin realised. He felt his face flush. He felt embarrassed and guilty to be the reason that they could've gotten caught - again.

"Sorry, Nines." Gavin grabbed his hand and squeezed it. 

Nines heaved a sigh and his eyes softened. "It's okay. Just be careful." 

Gavin felt Nines press his lips against Gavin's temple, which made his lips curl up in a smile. Gavin's cheeks were now red for a different reason.

"Clear," Hank said. He led the group again towards the door, before ducking behind some boxes. The other three followed his lead this time.

"Shit. There's a guard," Hank said. He groaned softly with irritation. "Of course there fuckin is."

"What's the verdict?" Connor asked.

"We may need a distraction," Nines said.

"I'll do it."

"Connor…"

"I know these caves better than you, let me," Hank butted in. 

"But how will we know where to go?" Connor asked.

"Damn it. It's times like these Eloise was here, whatever the fuck happened to her… Anywho, it doesn't matter. You three just get out and don't stop running. When you find a sign with a side of it removed and a cracked screen, go right and keep going."

"How do you know about that?" Gavin asked.

"I have been here a couple of times before these dicks moved in. In the tunnels, you learn quickly to make a mental map. Now get ready to go!" Hank hissed.

"Don't get yourself killed," Connor said, glancing up towards Hank with worry.

"I'll be fine." Hank got up and left cover. He stood on a random table, ripped off his shirt, and started furiously screeching.

"That is one way to do that. What a bold, brave man," Gavin commented in amusement. 

"No time for gawking, let's go!" Nines hissed. He grabbed Gavin by the wrist and dragged him towards the door, while being careful about not being spotted. Connor looked at Hank with worry before following.

As soon as the guard turned from the door, Nines rushed through it in a hasty exit with his boyfriend and brotherly figure.

Following the lead of Nines, Gavin crept quietly down the hallway. As soon as they turned the corner, Nines began to carelessly run. 

"Wait!" Connor harshly whisper-yelled. Nines turned around and looked at him expectantly.

"What?" Nines said.

"I'm going to wait for Hank, in case he needs help."

"Alright, if you're sure. Be careful." After speaking, Nines effortlessly picked up Gavin and threw him over his shoulder.

"Hey!" He yelped with surprise.

"Hush. We need to get to safety, and this is the fastest method of transporting you."

"Oh, okay. Wait, heyyy!" Gavin whined. "That's insulting."

"Doesn't matter, it's the truth," Nines said.

"Bitch."

"I heard that."

"I know, that was the point."

Gavin sighed and he rolled his eyes. He stayed silent as Nines ran down a series of twists and turns in the tunnel. He skidded to a halt when he saw what Hank at described - a screen which looked like one of the sides was sliced clean off, and a cracked screen. Nines walked forward and went down the right tunnel. He didn't bother to run again, but he would gladly sprint again if he detected even a hint of danger.

"I wonder if Hank and Connor are okay," Gavin said.

"I would honestly believe not. There's no way that unfit human could have survived the wrath of so many of those experiments, and Connor wouldn't be too far behind as Hank means so much to him he must go above and beyond for him."

That mocking voice and words like what was said were strangely unusual for Nines. "Nines, what the hell? You don't just say that."

Nines set Gavin down on the ground. He seemed a bit confused as he looked down at his boyfriend. "You're right, I'm sorry. I don't really know why I said that."

"Oh, it's chill," Gavin said. "Just don't say that shit again. I'm not one for optimism usually, but I want to at least pretend that my friends are fine."

"Why would you ask if they are okay if you didn't want an honest answer?"

"I dunno! Probably for reassurance, I dunno…"

"Oh, alright. Would it make you feel better to stop and wait for Hank and Connor for a few minutes?"

"Yes please." Gavin sat down on the ground, but Nines remained standing. He had his eyes trained on the door.

"If we see anyone who is not Hank or Connor, then run," Nines said. "Even if they haven't joined us."

"Yeah, okay, I get it," Gavin said. 

The pair waited in an achingly long silence, Gavin was beginning to believe that Hank and Connor hadn't made it. He began to blame it on himself. 

Hank and Connor died and it's all your fault.

Just as the thoughts began to swarm, Gavin heard footsteps which snapped hm out of it. Nines was alerted too, his head raised and he stared intently at the entrance.

Gavin saw that it was Connor and Hank. He got up and approached them. "Hey, you're-... Hank?"

As he got closer, Gavin realised Hank was leaning against Connor and that he had a lot of blood on him.

"He got injured. Please, let's keep going. I don't think we've lost those freaks," Connor said. 

Nines walked over and picked up Hank. "Let's get moving. Hank, which way?"

"Keep going, take the third left, then the first right, then just… walk," Hank groaned. 

"Okay." Nines began to stride forward with his companions in tow. Gavin had a small taint of unwanted jealousy towards Hank being carried by Nines. 

We seem to be doing so much damn walking, no matter what happens, Gavin thought. Oh well. It definitely is better than being robot chow.

Gavin heard an abrupt, unholy screech from somewhere further down the tunnel. Fuck my life, he thought begrudgingly. 

"That was a sound I never want to hear again," Gavin said.

"Agreed," Nines said.

"We should get running now though.

"No objections here," Connor said before immediately starting to sprint down the passageway. Gavin, Nines and Hank followed close behind.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck on my god, Gavin thought. Fuck everything about my life and this endless fucking tunnel system. Why was it designed like this anyway? I hate everything.

They ran for their lives for a while before Gavin decided that they had lost their pursuers. He slowed down until he came to a complete stop.

"Let's rest! I still ain't fit," Gavin said. Nines rolled his eyes and set Hank tenderly on the ground.

"What now, then?" Nines asked.

"We can just…Chill for a while and move later."

Nines sighed and Gavin sat down, which made Nines decide to do the same.

"Cuddles because I'm gay," Gavin said before wrapping his arms around Nines and burying his face in his chest.

"Okay." Nines began to hold Gavin, and he gave him a kiss on the forehead. "You are doing so well. I am truly proud of you. Gavin."

Gavin felt himself blush. "O-Oh, uh, thanks. You too."

"We are all alive and things will continue to be that way. And it will be that way for a long time."

"You're great," Gavin said. Shortly after speaking, Gavin randomly fell asleep snuggling with Nines. He did deserve a rest, despite causing a few fucked situations.

Connor, who was just awkwardly standing there, looked towards the ceiling.

"May we all end up to be okay."


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Gavin was in fresh clothes and was settled on Nines' lap.

After Gavin had woken up, he had promptly told everyone to fuck off as he changed into his last pair of unworn clothing. It only goes downhill from there.

But that was around five minutes ago. Now Gavin was munching on a muesli bar whilst Nines lazily slung his arms around Gavin's torso.

Connor was in the process of changing the bandages he had applied to Hank when Gavin was asleep. Gavin saw him wince and just cuddled closer to Nines.

"To think that you hated androids once," Hank chuckled. 

"Yeah, well, you did too," Gavin pointed out. "I hate a lot of them for a different reason now."

"'Kay." Hank looked away and stared down into the tunnel ahead.

"Is there anything wrong, Hank?" Connor asked.

"Eh… I'm just realising we will have to take a detour. Who knows where those shithead monster dicks could be. We should get going soon. Gavin, that means no more gay."

"Shocked, confused, and offended," Gavin said before he pressed a gentle kiss against Nines' cheek.

Hank rolled his eyes. He tried to stand up, but he groaned and fell limp again. "Stupid bones."

"You're injured, Hank. Let Nines carry you," Connor said.

"Actually, Connor," Nines interjected, "I'm going to be leaving today."

"What!?" Connor and Gavin exclaimed in unison.

"I need my boyfriend!"

"Hank needs someone to carry him!"

Connor and Gavin yelled at the same time, dismayed at what Nines had said.

"Remember I have duties to attend to and a reputation to uphold," Nines said tartly. "I'll be back when I can and I'll try to extend my day to the end of the day."

Gavin clung on to Nines, not wanting to let go of him. "But… You're the best gay I know."

"I'm the only gay you know, as far as my knowledge extends."

"Yeah and you're my boyfriend! Sure, life is nice and all, but giving me attention is a lot better."

"You sure love my attention, huh?"

"Yeeeessss! That was the whole point of this conversation apart from please stay!"

"Gavin, I am unable to do that and you know that. I'm sorry, but I must go."

Gavin hugged Nines tightly and gave him a kiss. Nines kissed back, embracing Gavin closely. Nines gently ran his hands up and down Gavin's slender hips. 

"I'm not sure when I'll be back," Nines said when he broke the kiss, "But I won't make you wait too long. I appreciate you, Gavin."

"I appreciate you too." Gavin gave Nines a squeeze before reluctantly letting go. He gave Nines' cheek a soft kiss. "Well, goodbye. No - let's say farewell instead of goodbye. It seems less permanent."

"Farewell, Gavin." Nines gave a smile and squeezed Gavin's hand before giving Connor and Hank a respective nod. "Connor, Hank."

"Bye, Nines," Connor said.

"Stay safe!" Gavin added as Nines began to walk away.

Watching his lover disappear into darkness made Gavin feel sad. He just wanted to pull him back towards the light, but he was unable to.

"Where does he even go?" Gavin asked.

"There are ways to reach the outside world riddled all across these tunnels," Hank answered.

"There are what? Why don't we just travel up above the surface then?"

"Because authorities would be doing a search on us by now, Gavin. It is far too dangerous," Connor said.

"Far too dangerous my ass," Gavin mumbled.

"If I go out into daylight my eyes will probably hurt," Hank said.

"No one gives a flying fuck about your eyes, Hank."

"We should think about what we should do," Connor intervened. "Hank?"

"Take the detour."

"Detour it is then," Gavin sighed reluctantly.

The group consisting of two humans and an android spent the next few days travelling through the tunnel. It took extra time due to Hank's wounds and limping, but they still made fairly decent time. Gavin was slowly becoming more excited to reach a place where he could see actual humans (that weren't Hank. As far as Gavin was concerned, Hank was barely a human anyway). They went through a series of twists and turns. Gavin had never knew that this all existed, and very much questioned the planning to the confusing underground structure.

Throughout the journey, Gavin heard distant growls and sounds which always shot a rush of adrenaline throughout his body. He did not appreciate the background sounds. Gavin would really appreciate a phone, some earplugs and a Spotify connection at that point.

"We're getting close," Hank abruptly announced. Gavin noticed a light in his eyes that wasn't present before.

Hank walked down a hallway towards a door. "Home," he said softly.

"Home?" Gavin echoed questioningly. "Hank, this is not home. Home is something we lost two years ago. Home is gone."

Hank turned around to face Gavin, and he glared at him. "You're right, Gavin. Home is gone - our old home is gone. Now, my home lies with these people. You have to get used to this difference some time. Stop focusing on the goddamn past and look at what you have ahead of you. Nothing and no one can change what has been done."

"He's right," Connor said. "It's okay to have trauma, but you can't let yourself drown in it." He put a hand on Gavin's shoulder. "You have to grow, think about the good things ahead. Change happens all the time, Gavin. It's something you have to adjust to."

"Whatever," Gavin said. "I mean… Fuck. I guess that this has all been tough, and I…I don't know."

"Let's just continue," Hank said. He turned back towards the door. He grabbed the doorknob and turned it, opening the door.

Gavin watched Hank's face, and experienced every moment of the cheerful gleam fading from his eye and his face falling into one of unmasked horror.

The large dimly lit room was covered in blood, and Gavin recognised a few scattered mauled bodies. Android creatures were all around the tavern, and they all turned to look at the new arrivals.

"Shit!" Gavin yelled. "Fuck, I left the spear Hank gave me somehwere." He drew the machete out of his bag. 

The creatures, mostly animal-like, bounded towards the three with ferocious snarls. Connor began to throw knives as swift as his coding and mechanics could possibly allow. Hank had a glazed look as his countenance remained soaked in a horrified distraught.

"Hank, snap out of it!" Gavin yelled before bringing the machete down on a creature. "We have to run. Now!"

Hank was frozen for another moment before looking at Gavin. Just as he opened his mouth, barks of the monsters sounded from the other end of the tunnel. They were surrounded.

"Fuck! Hank, what do we do!?" Gavin screeched.

The blank look faded from Hank's face. "We have to fight our way through. I know where survivors would have went, but we have to travel above the ground to get there."

"Shit, okay."

Hank drew his pistol and began to shoot. As more and more creatures leapt, he shot them. He turned around and shot a few approaching from the other way. Gavin took a step forward and kept chopping up the android hybrids. More swarmed and dealt Gavin swipes and bites to the legs.

One suddenly leapt onto Gavin and bowled him over. Gavin yelped out in shock as a few of the creatures jumped onto him. Claws that seemed to have been dipped in poison ripped through his skin, resulting in prolonged screeches of agony.

Gavin tried to shove them off to no avail. Tears quickly came to his eyes. He watched as one of them opened up its mouth, prepared to rip a big chunk out of Gavin's side, until a bullet went through its brain.

Connor threw knives at the others, and took a chance to rush in and give Gavin his machete back. Gavin stood up, blood streaming from multiple wounds around his body. He wielded the machete and began swinging.

Hank began to push through to another door, so Gavin and Connor followed his lead as they thought with all their might. Gavin had to fight the urge to be reduced to a heap on the floor, his wounds were burning badly and dealing him immense anguish.

Gavin continued to swing his machete as the group went towards the door.

"I'm out of throwing knives," Connor suddenly said. He started whacking creatures with his bag.

"I only have a bullet left," Hank said. "Gavin, it's up to you."

Gavin nodded and he kept hitting the never ending stream of jaws and claws with his machete. There was a point where the weapon was ripped from his hands, but Gavin quickly tugged it back. As soon as they reached the door, all three men rushed through and closed the door behind them.

"Up ahead is a trapdoor. We get out of there and we'll be in the suburbs near a forest," Hank said. "Past the forest there is a field with an old mansion. That's our backup location. Survivors will be there."

"Shit, okay," Gavin said. He took a few more steps before falling to the ground and groaning. His nerves felt like they were burning and Gavin was convinced that a few of those monsters had poisoned claws.

Connor knelt beside him and he grabbed bandages out of his backpack. He wrapped up Gavin's wounds hastily before pulling him up to his feet. 

"We don't have time Gavin, please, let's go. We have to move."

Gavin forced himself to limp forward. Hank pulled down a ladder and opened up the trapdoor. Gavin squinted at the sudden exposure to daylight. It was bright but it seemed to be near sunset. 

Hank hauled himself out of the trapdoor, then reached down a hand. Connor got behind Gavin and helped him up the ladder. Hank grabbed him and heaved him upwards. 

Gavin panted as he collapsed next to Hank. Connor looked behind him where he saw the door slam open, followed by a wave of android mutants.

Connor's eyes widened and he suddenly seemed fearful. The horrible sounds from the monsters flooded his auditory senses. Connor began to climb, but jaws clamped onto his leg and pulled him back down towards the darkness.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

"Connor!" Gavin screamed out. Hank stared down into the he, stricken by fear.

At first, the only response that was given was howls, rumbles and the sound of machinery. Then Connor gasped loudly and he grabbed onto the ladder. Seeing that he wasn't torn to shreds thoroughly relieved Gavin.

He quickly climbed up the ladder and slammed the trapdoor shut behind him, leaving the screeching echoes behind him.

"Connor, holy fuck, are you okay!?" Hank asked. He seemed utterly and deeply concerned, and Gavin remembered the bond that they had formed.

"Yes, I'm fine. They didn't pierce my body or anything, surprisingly. What I am made of must simply be strong enough to fend off that bunch when they are not trying. I suspect they may not be as strong as other android mutants."

"As long as you're okay," Hank said.

"What's the plan now?" Gavin asked.

"We have to find an empty house to stay at for at least tonight," Hank said. "Let's go. I see androids."

Gavin looked up and saw a few normal androids walking down the street. He got up onto his feet. Hank pointed towards a run-down home and began to make his way towards it, followed by Connor who was supporting a limping Gavin.

They snuck through a few yards before Hank went out into the backyard of the run down house. 

"You should check it out. You're the only unwounded one," Hank said to Connor, who nodded. Hank and Gavin sat down outside in the backyard as Connor went on forward.

Connor crept inside and looked around - there was no traces of activity, and there hadn't seemed to be for a while. He looked around and he found a bedroom with two single beds - perfect for him to watch over and care for Gavin and Hank.

Connor left the house and went back to the humans. "We can go inside, the home is abandoned," he reported. "I'll help you, Gavin."

Connor helped Gavin onto his feet. Gavin still had a burning sensation ripping throughout his body from the attack. His hand was lightly gripping his machete, which Connor took from him and placed into Gavin's backpack.

Connor supported Gavin inside of the house, and Hank trailed close behind. He closed the back door behind them and followed Connor and Gavin to the bedroom. Connor helped Gavin settle down into one of the beds, and Hank sat on the other bed.

"I'll look around for useful items," Connor said. He started by looking through the wardrobe - which had some clothes that would more or less fit both Gavin and Hank. He took out a few shirts and pants and lay them on the ground. 

"I found some clothes. I can help you change, if you wish," Connor said.

"I'm fine," Gavin said. "I'll change when I feel better. Anyways, I'd only let Nines change me."

"Okay, Gavin."

Connor left the room and walked around the house. He found the kitchen which had some food which was still in date, along with grossly rotten food - particularly in the fridge. He didn't know why his kind hadn't just done up every house, instead of combining living spaces and ignoring perfectly good structures. Then again, in some areas houses were completely obliterated. Connor turned on the tap, and clean water poured from it. He made two glasses of water and spread out in-date crackers on a plate that he had found in a cupboard.

He then kept looking. He found the bathroom which had soaps and shampoos, and a fully stocked first aid kit. Connor knew that this would certainly come to good use.

He left the bathroom and brought the food plus the water to the injured humans. He felt like he was playing some sort of nurse role.

Hank quickly sat up and began to stuff his face. Gavin was slow to sit up, and he ate at a sluggish rate too.

"This home is full of necessities. We can restock our supplies here," Connor said with some excitement. "Plus you two can shower."

"Yes, we are stinky boys," Gavin said. He sipped on the water. "This bed is so comfortable, I haven't felt this comfortable since the hotel. Can we stay here for a few days?"

"Only a few days at the most," Hank replied. "We have to be careful about what we do."

"Yeah, I understand," Gavin said.

Throughout the next twenty-four hours, Connor took good care of Gavin and tried to get him healed as quickly as possible. Connor had also delivered good and removed the rubbish from his bag and Gavin's.

Connor had located some painkillers, so he brought them Gavin who took them willingly. As soon as the pills kicked in, Gavin stood up and began to walk around the house and really took it all in. 

"I'm gonna shower!" He yelled out. 

"It's about time!" Hank said back.

Gavin found a clean towel, and he locked the door behind him. He removed his clothing followed by his dressing of bandages and disinfectant. Gavin stepped into the shower and began to wash himself, watching as dirt that was once on his body go down the drain. The hot water did irritate his wounds, but the painkillers blocked out most of the stinging sensation. He squeezed shampoo onto his hand and massaged it deeply into his hair.

I want Nines to shower me like this, Gavin thought. 

As if on cue, a familiar voice sounded.

"I came as quick as I could."

Gavin perked up happily at the sound of Nines' talking.

"Where's Gavin?"

"In the shower," Hank replied.

There were footsteps then a knock on the door. "Gavin? It's me."

"Come in," Gavin said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Gavin moved his head away from the water and looked at the door as Nines opened it and entered. Nines instantly blushed deeply.

"O-Oh, Gavin, you're naked."

"Well, duh. I'm having a shower. Get yourself over here."

Nines walked over at Gavin's request. He took in the sight, but Gavin's array of scars and recent wounds saddened him. 

"Hey," Gavin said. He very cautiously leaned forward and gave Nines a hasty embrace before pulling away.

"Hello, sweetie."

Sweetie. I like that, Gavin thought with a blush.

"Nines, can you wash my hair?"

"Erm, sure." Nines sounded awkward; he was feeling such too as he was not expecting this. 

Gavin closed his eyes and felt gentle fingers began to massage the shampoo against his scalp. This was so lovely, Gavin was glad that it was easy to convince Nines to wash his hair. Gavin barely even cared about being naked in front of Nines. He was so comfortable with him.

"Gavin. Your scars, how did they come about? Not the self-inflicted ones."

Gavin frowned. This was a touchy subject for him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Gavin, the information is confidential and stays between us. I swear you can trust the truth with me," Nines said.

"What part of 'I don't want to talk about it' do you not understand!?" Gavin snapped. "Sorry for yelling, I seriously don't want to talk about it." The annoyance Gavin felt was evident even throughout his apology, although it probably wasn't Gavin who needed to apologise.

"Fine, whatever then," Nines sneered sourly.

Jesus Christ, where the hell did that attitude come from? Gavin thought, furrowing his eyebrows.

"If you want to know about the wounds, I got them like a day ago to some mutant things. They hurt like hell."

"Okay," Nines said. "Er, I mean, I hope you feel better."

Gavin turned to look at Nines seriously. "Nines, are you feeling alright? You don't exactly seem to be yourself."

"Yes, I am fine. Do not worry."

"Okay…" Gavin decided to accept the answer for how it was, but he took no effort to hide his suspicion. "Anyways, I have a shower to finish. Fuck off, please."

Nines left, closing the door behind him. Gavin washed his body before turning off the water and stepping out of the shower. He dried himself off with the towel that he had selected, then put on the clothes he had taken with him - a shirt and shorts.

The shirt had art of two men, a blonde and a redhead, clinking glasses together with the text 'to the world'. Gavin didn't understand the shirt, but he couldn't care - any clean clothes were a blessing. 

Gavin left the bathroom, and Connor was waiting with a phone in hand. 

"I found this and charged it," he said. "The pin code is 3784. Have fun."

Gavin took the phone and sat down on he couch. He hadn't held a phone in so long. He entered the pin and unlocked the phone and began to explore instantly.

He entered Instagram and nearly teared up as he scrolled through memes he had never before seen. There had been no activity on the app for over two years, as far as Gavin could tell. 

He then went onto Spotify and made a playlist with what were once Gavin's favourite songs. Whilst listening to the first one, Nines sat to Gavin's left and Connor to the right.

"How are you liking it?' Connor asked.

"Connor, I love it. It's so surreal to see this… like a piece of the past that was lost in time."

Nines slung his arm around Gavin, and Gavin avoided the urge to cuddle up to him. Gavin was currently trying to ignore Nines (but it was not working all too well).

"I'm glad," Connor said. "How are the painkillers?"

"Amazing, I barely feel any pain," Gavin said. "I'm so thankful that you found those, or I would have been bedridden for who knows how long."

Hank entered the room. "Hey, asswipes. We're leaving tomorrow evening to get into the forest without drawing too much attention to ourselves."

"Are you sure we have to leave? I mean, this is pretty good," Gavin said.

"Yes! I have a home to return to, people editing for me. Anyway, supplies here won't last forever and we can easily be found."

"Alright, whatever," Gavin said. "We leave tomorrow, I guess."

"Great," Hank said.

"I'll accompany you part of the way," Nines said. "Then we shall part ways again until another day."

Realising he has limited time with Nines, Gavin leaned over and hugged him. "You're a fuckwit but I want my attention and gay fuel."

Nines responded with a chuckle and a kiss on Gavin's forehead, making Gavin blush. "Yeah. Like that," Gavin said.

Connor got off of the couch and sat on the other one. Nines took the opportunity to hold Gavin and lay down on his side with him in his arms. Gavin turned around in Nines' arms and closely cuddled up to him. He buried his face in Nines' chest and he felt a hand on his damp hair.

Gavin felt Nines repeatedly comb his fingers through Gavin's hair. This intimacy gave Gavin a warm, fuzzy feeling he wanted to experience forever.

Nines gave Gavin a few gentle kisses all over his face, resulting in grins from a blushing Gavin. Nines kissed Gavin's nose before rubbing his side.

"You truly are one of the best things to happen to me," Nines breathed out.

"You are too, for me," Gavin replied in a similar tone.

Their eyes mirrored the same deep affection that Gavin and Nines held for each other. Nines gave Gavin a soft, teasing peck on the lips, which left Gavin wanting more.

Gavin gave a return peck on Nines' lips before placing his face back on Nines' chest. Nines settled his arms around him. Gavin felt so safe in Nines' arms, and barely realised as he drifted off to sleep.

∆∆∆  
A/N  
What's this, a double upload? Heck yeah it is!   
Darkened Skies surpassed thirty thousand words last chapter which is definitely the most I've ever written. I wouldn't have been able to done it without support, so thank you!


	20. Chapter Twenty

Gavin woke up with a start. He opened his eyes and had a groggy look on his face, and he realised that he was lying in the arms of Nines. On a couch. In a house.

As the memories flooded in, so did the ache due to his wounds that were covering his body. He gave himself some time to savour the moment of being in the warm embrace of Nines, even with the stinging cuts that he wasn't able to completely divert his attention from. Eventually, Gavin knew that he had to wake him up. 

"Hey, Nines. Nines. Nines. Hey Nines."

Nines opened his eyes and looked at Gavin. "Yes?"

"I hurt, like, a hella shit ton. Can you go and grab some painkillers and food for me?"

Nines nodded with a smile. He gave Gavin a gentle kiss on his temple. "Of course, I hate to see you in pain, my dear. But first…"

Nines picked up Gavin and carried him to the bedroom with the two beds, setting him down gently on the unoccupied one. In the other bed Hank was snoring loudly.

"I'll get Connor to deal with that," Nines said. He gave Gavin a quick kiss on the lips before leaving the room.

A few moments later, Connor entered the room. He sat on Hank's waist and slapped him a few times on the face, much to Gavin's amusement. Hank's eyes shot open and he was alarmed, but as soon as he saw that it was only Connor, he relaxed.

"Connor, the fuck are you doing? Why the fuck are you on me!?"

"I wished to bring you into the conscious world, and therefore that is exactly what I have done," Connor said, moving off of Hank and returning to standing on the floor.

"Whatever," Hank grumbled. "Later we have to get moving, like I said last night."

"Can't we stay another day? Hank, think about it - this is a perfect house. Food, water, clothes…"

Nines abruptly entered the room, picked up Gavin, and left. He carried him to another bedroom. This room was fairly larger, and had a queen-sized bed in the centre.

"Why didn't I know about this before?" Gavin asked.

"The door handle was broken. It was a challenge to enter," Nines answered. He settled Gavin down on the bed. Gavin audibly sighed with content, instantly sinking into the gentle fabric caressing his body.

"Holy fuck. This is is fucking comfortable," he said.

Nines sat beside him. "I agree," he said after getting a feel of the bed. He stood up again and left the room, and quickly returned. 

Nines put a plate on the nightstand before holding out his hand, which was holding two painkiller pills. Confused, Gavin leaned in and licked them off of Nines' hand.

"What?" Nines said,flustered and confused by the motion. It was plain to see that the android was not expecting Gavin to do that in the slightest. Nines shook his head. He then handed Gavin a glass of water whilst staring at him with a weird look.

Gavin downed the water and then set the glass aside, next to the plate. He curiously peered forward at the plate. On it was what was most likely canned spaghetti, and tuna as well to the side.

"Oh… thank you, Nines, but are you completely sure about that mix of food?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Fuck, why am I even complaining!? I haven't had this good of shit for a long time." Gavin carefully sat up in the bed, with the help of Nines. He ate a bit of the spaghetti. It was warm, and definitely was the canned kind. Gavin began to shovel the food into his mouth, letting out little moans of unadulterated enjoyment.

After Gavin had ravened the entire plate, he looked at Nines. "Thank you, bitch."

Nines responded by making a projected image emerge from and protrude in front of his torso. It was something that Nines had not seen in a long time - a meme. Not just a meme, no, this was crafted by Nines. In a text format.

The meme contained this:  
Me: *says romantic things to my boyfriend*  
My boyfriend: *calls me bitch*

"I… I am bamboozled," Gavin said. "What? How did you make a meme?"

"I have upgraded. I have downloaded thousands of memes into my memory, and can create the most perfect memes to appeal to any audience," Nines said.

"That's amazing. Kinda useless now there's not many humans, but still amazing. Admirable. Can you show me one of your perfect memes?" Gavin asked.

"Maybe some other time," Nines said.

"Pleeeaaase?" Gavin begged. "I need my food."

"But Gavin, you just ate."

"I need my meme dessert!"

"Another time, Gavin. You have to wait. Sometimes you resemble more of a child than my boyfriend," Nines said.

Gavin huffed and lay back down. "Well… go shit your pants," he said.

"You can be so needlessly immature." Nines rolled his eyes.

"That's not true! Piss yourself!"

"Another example of what I'm talking about."

"Ugh, I thought that you were used to my vibes," Gavin said. "I don't need this stress, Nines."

"You're right. My apologies," Nines said. He left the room and left the door only slightly open as to not lock Gavin in. 

Gavin sighed. It felt strange to be inside of a room that was his own again. Then again, everything to happen to him recently was strange in some way. He looked at the window which had a curtain drawn over it, before staring at the ceiling.

Gavin's brain was echoing with countless thoughts. They were dripping and drilling all throughout every little crevice of his darkened mind. Memories of the horrible things that have happened to him and around him, the fearful thoughts about the future, the nagging anxiety asking 'does Nines really like you?'

And somehow, simultaneously, Gavin's mind was blank.

The murmurings of his soul overcharged Gavin's brain, leaving him both with a thousand pieces of scattered thoughts, memories, and worries but also a clean slate waiting to be painted on.

The human mind is such a strange, complex thing.

Then he started thinking about the day. That dreaded, dreaded day. Gavin would give so much to just rewind and turn back time, and stopped the android revolution from getting so far. Maybe his begging against android advancements should have been more persistent.

Gavin felt the waterworks begin. His eyes welled up with stinging tears, which he tried to desperately push back (but evidentially failed). 

Gavin's body rocked with small sobs. As soon as a sound portraying his weakness befell from his lips, Gavin smacked a hand over his mouth. 

The door opened and Nines entered the room with haste. He had heard the singular sob from his boyfriend and therefore instantly arrived to check on him.

"Gavin, are you okay?"

Gavin slowly sat up. He shook his head and he sniffled. "N-No… no. I'm just thining about that stupid day which I lost everything, fucking androids, I…" his sentence trailed off as he cried harder.

Gavin felt a pair of arms go around him and hold onto him tightly. Gavin set his head on Nines' shoulder, needing his closeness and his warmth.

"I'm, I, fuck… thank you for being here," Gavin croaked.

"Of course." Nines placed a gentle kiss against Gavin's forehead. 

Gavin let the tears stream. "I want to stay with you forever, Nines," he said. "I don't want to be a slave or on the run any longer.

"I know," Nines said. "I'm here for you, okay? I'm here for you."

"I know." Gavin kissed Nines gently. "Please stay with me forever.'

"I can only try."

No promise of forever? Gavin thought, saddened. He really did have so much hope in their relationship. He wanted to just figure out what is truly wrong with Nines, so he could help him.

Nines got up. "You try to rest, okay? You need it. You need some rest."

"I want to do something more here then eat and sleep," Gavin said. "I'm going to see if Connor wants to play a board game." Gavin left the room and he went to the room that Hank was in. 

"... I could've played a board game with you," Nines said dejectedly to a now empty space.

As Gavin had presumed, Connor was present in Hank's room. 

"Hello Gavin," Connor greeted. "It's nice to see you walking around well."

"I am full of painkillers, I barely ache and whatever I do I will definitely regret later."

"Um… Okay then," Connor said. "What appears to be upwards right now?"

"What?"

"Oh, I should elaborate. You humans say 'what's up'. What a strange sentence."

"Okay Connor, you do that I guess," Gavin said. "Anyways. Wanna locate and play a board game as I am very bored right now?"

"Let's do it," Connor agreed. 

Gavin left the room with Connor, resulting with Hank laying alone. They searched and located a few board games, and had a brief discussion on what they should be. Monopoly was chosen and they played a game of it. Gavin lost in the end. This resulted in him flipping the board, yelling "fuck you shitty pp, you are the living equivalent of not having enough toilet paper". 

Gavin stormed straight to bed. Nines was in Gavin's room but left very quickly once he noticed Gavin's vibes, who had groaned at some pains shooting up his leg. 

"Yuck, the painkillers are already offing themselves," Gavin said before flopping onto his bed. Before he knew it, he had passed out on his bed.

Gavin woke up to Nines gently shaking him. Gavin placed his hand on Nines' face and pushed him away somewhat softly.

"Go away, I was sleeping," Gavin grumbled. "I hate being awake. Not to mention the pain I'm in because of those dumb android things."

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to look at the full moon with me," Nines said. "Stargaze, moongaze. With me."

Gavin stared at Nines. "You're being serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"True. Wait, doesn't Hank want us to leave or whatever?" Gavin asked.

"I convinced him to let us remain here until you're more healed. You certainly need more time before we can make another trip. I'm afraid you may collapse on the way, or something could go wrong and you won't be able to run."

"Thank you."

"Of course." Nines gave Gavin a gentle smile. He kissed Gavin's cheek. "So, would you want to go outside and stargaze with me?"

"Yeah. I want some painkillers first though," Gavin said. "Bitches be hungry."

"Bitches be hungry indeed," Nines agreed, which caught Gavin off guard. The surprise must have shown in Gavin's face, because Nines chuckled. Nines walked out of the room, leaving Gavin to just look around it.

Nines came back and gave Gavin the painkillers and some water. Once Gavin had consumed both, Nines picked him up. Nines carried Gavin outside onto the back porch of the home. Only half of it was covered with a roof, leaving a good view of the sky.

What Gavin hadn't noticed about this place when he had first arrived is that there was a porch swing. A porch swing is one of those long swings, like a stretched out rocking chair except in the shape of a swing and not a chair. Think of what it would look like if a swing bred with a couch.

Nines sat Gavin down on the porch swing before sitting down next to him. Nines put his arm around Gavin, and Gavin leaned into Nines. He stared up at the sky.

Gavin had always taken the sky for granted. Until lately, he had never appreciated its beauty. The beauty of the cloak of darkness shrouding the sky; bejewelled by an array of little specks of white surrounding the white moon. Crickets were chirping and a gentle breeze blew against Gavin's face, giving it the numbing chill that the night gale usually does. 

"Nines, do you remember the times I always denied my homosexuality?" Gavin spontaneously asked.

"Yes," Nines said. "What was the reasoning behind that? Had you not yet come to terms with your sexuality?"

"Well… Sort of, I suppose. I have always known deep down, but due to… reasons, I have always made myself think I'm straight."

"Why, if you don't mind me asking?"

Gavin took a deep breath. "It…" He then hesitated. "Don't worry, it's not important."

"If whatever it is has impacted on what you believed was your sexuality, then it must be important," Nines replied.

Gavin took another deep breath. Wow, he was breathing a lot. "Okay. Well…"

//Gavin was fourteen years old. He was sitting at his dinner table, eating dinner with his parents and his brother.

"Gavin, honey, how was school?" Gavin's mother asked.

"It was good! I spent time with my friends and my boyfri- best friend! I meant, best friend."

"Did you just say boyfriend?" Gavin's father asked, his voice having a dangerous undertone to it.

Gavin began to panic. "I-I… Mom, dad, I'm gay, okay!? I know you won't ever accept me, but I'm gay. I like boys and I always have. I'm happy with my boyfriend."

Gavin's mother gasped and his father stood up. He picked Gavin up by the collar and began to deliver him punch after punch, making Gavin uncontrollably shake with fear as the pain was conducted.

"No son of mine will ever be gay! You brat should try to be more like your brother, not a goddamn poof with no potential."

Gavin tried to get out of his grasp. He looked at the other two members of his family desperately for help. To his dismay, he saw his brother turn away and his mother encouraging his father. 

Gavin was betrayed. His parents were meant to love him unconditionally, and he had always been there for his brother. But then again, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened - plus, Gavin was aware that his parents were homophobic.

Blood gushed out of his nose as he continued to struggle. "Please stop," he begged.

After one final blow, Gavin's father dragged Gavin off of the chair and shoved him to the ground. As Gavin tried to get up, his father kicked his side without holding back, causing Gavin to screech with pain and collapse onto the ground.

"Get out of my house. You can only come back when you get the stupid idea that you're gay out of your head."

Gavin made a dash for the front door, running out of the house. He spent the night cold and alone. The next day, he returned.

"It was stupid to think I'm gay," Gavin said somberly.  
//

"That one night had given me such a deep trauma that I spent the next good portion of my life believing that I am straight," Gavin said after he had recounted the night. He was close to tears.

"I'm so sorry, I… don't know what to say. You should have never had to have gone through such an experience, my god. You had a terrible family, Gavin."

"I know. I should have gone to live with my boyfriend. I wish I had a therapist."

"What happened to your relationship afterwards?" Nines asked.

"I broke up with him. I regret that decision," Gavin said. "I should never have let my parents break me like that. Sometimes the truth seems just too hard to be true."

"Well, you're in a better place now… In some ways."

Nines placed his hand gently on Gavin's cheek and tilted his head so they had eye contact. 

"Gavin, I have something I've been meaning to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Gavin couldn't hold back his huge grin. He leaned in, as did Nines, and they met in the middle for a deep kiss. They were tangled in each other's embrace as they shared a kiss that was strong with nothing but unfiltered love. Gavin's lips fit perfectly with Nines', and this kiss like every other sent fireworks throughout Gavin's body and made his face red.

Gavin slowly pulled away once he decided that they had kissed for long enough. 

"I love you," Gavin said. "I love you! It is you that I love!"

"Calm down there," Nines laughed. "You are very adorable, dork." He held Gavin close and kissed him on the nose.

"Thanks, you're handsome sometimes."

The confession and the kiss had brought Gavin's mind away from the memories. Of course, love and affection will never heal a damaged person, but it can certainly distract them from what haunts them.

Gavin leaned against Nines, who held him closer. Nines kissed Gavin's cheek.

Gavin went back to looking up at the moon and the stars. As the painkillers kicked in, he became sleepier. Gavin closed his eyes and fell asleep curled up to Nines side - the place he wanted to be forever and always.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

The gentle, creamy dawn of lights were shedding down onto the ground with the sky itself harnessed as a vessel. The night’s whispers were faded, fading, as the moon gave in to the sun like the tale goes every night, the stars going away with it. There was already dewdrops glistening on the grass in the lawn, a sign that there may have been a gentle rainfall the previous night. Bats were screeching their normal call, creating a dark storm with a flurry of wings, as they escaped the threat of daylight hitting their skin.

The stars seemed to be fighting for the right to remain in the sky, wishing to remain alongside the sun, but as usual they struggled and eventually gave in to the much more powerful force. The sun always overpowered all that surrounded it, whether they are whole or simply remnants of what there once was. The sun saw no reasoning; it pushed everything away. But now that raises the question - does the sun even have a choice in this matter?

“Tag yourself, I’m the stars,” Gavin said.

“Gavin, my dear, please elaborate I am begging you," Nines replied.

“Think about it, all of the androids are the sun while us humans are the moon and stars. Overwhelmed and being killed by the much stronger opposition."

“You are human. I am an android," Nines said matter-of-factly. 

“You're on our side now," Gavin said. "That alone makes you more human than any other android." He placed his hand on Nines'.

Nines looked away from Gavin. "There are things about me that makes your statement untrue."

"What do you mean by that? Nines, are you okay?"

"Yes."

"No, dude, be real with me," Gavin said in a serious tone. "I've suspected for a while that's something's up. Talk to me, please."

"Gavin, I… I can't. It's difficult to explain, and the information could hurt you."

"Oh, and withholding information from your boyfriend is so not hurtful," Gavin sneered. 

"I'm sorry. I do not wish to hurt you," Nines frowned. "There are just things that are better if they remain unsaid." Nines shifted away from Gavin and stood up.

"Where are you going? Please, just talk to me!" Gavin pleaded. He didn't like to beg, but Nines was extremely important to him. If Nines had any issue or inconvenience at all, then Gavin wanted to know about it. Nines turned around to face Gavin.

“Gavin, I can’t-”

“Only a few hours ago I shared something very personal, I’m sure that whatever the hell this is is able to be told to me,” Gavin said.

“Sharing something and expecting me to exchange information is a manipulative behaviour. I do not need to tell you.”

"It… it literally is not, but okay."

Nines turned back around and walked inside of the house. Gavin moved to get up, but the aching of his wounds was settling in again.

"Fuck… Hey, Nines? The painkillers are wearing off again! Nines? Nines!"

There was no response to Gavin's calls. With a moan of pain, Gavin struggled to his feet. He staggered forward but eventually gained fair balance. With slow, careful steps, Gavin made it inside of the house where he slid down to the ground.

"Nines, you better get your fucking ass over here!" Gavin yelled out.

"Hey, shut the fuck up!" a sleepy and grumpy Hank yelled back from another room. 

Gavin rolled his eyes. "I will as soon as Nines comes and helps me! I had to crawl inside."

Silence followed his statement and soon afterwards an android entered the room. It wasn't Nines, though, it was Connor.

"I'll help you." Connor awkwardly picked Gavin up. He had his arms around his back and Gavin's legs were dangling down in mid-air.

"This is super weird and uncomfortable but you're my only option. Where the fuck is Nines?"

"He's on charge right now. I'll take you," Connor answered. He began to waddle towards Gavin's temporary bedroom. The awkward position made Gavin's feet brush the ground every few seconds, and the whole situation was just generally awkward.

Connor entered the room that thankfully had an open door. He set Gavin down on the bed, pulled the blanket down, and slowly shimmied Gavin into the blankets. Gavin's pain was slowly getting worse. Fucking wounds, he thought.

Once Gavin was successfully in the bed, Connor said, "I'm going to go get you more painkillers. Try resting."

Gavin grunted in response and closed his eyes. Before Connor came back, Gavin fell asleep.

Gavin woke up the next morning hungry and in pain. He fluttered his eyes open and glanced at the bedside table, which had a painkiller pill and water on it. Gavin sat up, taking his time to do so, and grabbed the pill. He popped it in his mouth and then took a gulp of the water. He waited for about fifteen minutes, just sitting in the bed, and then he got out of the bed when the painkillers hit him and took an edge off the stinging. Fuck the android creature things.

Gavin walked out to the kitchen, where he saw Nines idly standing there. Gavin grabbed his wrist roughly and yanked him towards him. Gavin was pissed.

"What the hell, man!?"

A confused Nines looked at Nines. He seemed surprised at Gavin's aggressiveness. "Dear, whatever do you mean?"

"What I mean is that this morning you left me! It was sunrise but you thought it'd be a good idea to leave me cold and alone as my pain came back. What a brilliant fucking idea," Gavin sneered sarcastically.

Shadows fell across Nines' face. "Well, I'm very sorry, Gavin. I didn't realise the pain had returned. Are you hungry? I'm making you noodles, they're almost ready. The water is currently softening them."

Gavin took notice of a cup of noodles on the bench. 

"Don't do that shit again. I'm sick of us fighting," Gavin said. He walked right up to Nines and pressed their bodies together, and Gavin allowed his head to drop onto Nines' shoulder. Nines put his arms around Gavin's hips and they stood in the middle of the kitchen, safe in each other's embrace.

Gavin closed his eyes. He felt a gentle kiss being pressed to his forehead, then he felt a head leaning against his. Gavin relaxed before squeezing a little tighter.

"I love you," Gavin said.

"I love you too."

Gavin relished the moment before lifting his head. He gazed into Nines' gorgeous blue eyes. "How much do you love me?"

Nines stared back with a gentle intensity.

"I love you with all of the love my wiring will allow me to have."

"I thought your wiring didn't let you love."

"Exact- wait, no!" Nines' face paled. "That's not what I meant!"

Gavin snorted. "Big brain."

"Don't have one, but a big brain is what I am in need of right now," Nines said.

Gavin gave Nines a quick kiss before lifting the lid of the noodle cup. "This bad boy is ready." He grabbed a fork from out of a drawer, washed it with water, then drained the water from the noodles. He added the flavouring then sat at the table. Nines took a seat next to Gavin. Gavin began to eat his noodles, his face lighting up.

"I vibe with these," Gavin muffled through a mouthful of noodles.

Gavin swallowed and tilted his head back, then carefully lowered noodles into his mouth. Nines watched Gavin eat with warm, gentle eyes. Gavin gave him a strange look and swallowed his noodles.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Gavin asked. "Let me eat, it's weird."

"It's because you're so gorgeous, and everything you do is so very intriguing," Nines replied. 

Gavin's cheeks went a gentle pink. "Okay."

Hank and Connor both entered the kitchen, holding backpacks.

"We are leaving today," Hank announced. "Shower and get changed, and grab anything here you think could be useful."

Gavin looked at Hank and shoved more noodles into his mouth. Hank rolled his eyes before going around the kitchen and throwing items into his bag. Connor was mirroring his actions until both bags were near full. The pair then left, presumably to locate more things that could be of use.

Gavin sped up his eating process until he was done. He threw the fork in the sink and the cup in the trash. He went to the bedroom he had stayed in, grabbed his bag, and started looking around for useful items.

Gavin packed his bag with clothes, a torch, batteries, water bottles, and random food that was not yet expired. He found another bag he filled with clothes, soap, shampoo, towels, and deodorant that he handed to Nines.

"Here. Take this," Gavin said. "We need to take all of the stuff we can get.".

Gavin remembered the phone Connor had given him. He went to where he left it, on the couch, and picked it up. He pocketed the phone and the earplugs. Gavin found Connor and inquired about the whereabouts of the charger, which Connor provided. Gavin quickly found the phone charger and shoved it into his bag.

Gavin returned to the kitchen and grabbed the painkiller packet and then stuffed that into his bag as well. Nines walked into the room and Gavin t-posed at him.

"Stop doing that, you're a bottom."

Gavin was completely caught off guard by that comment, and he let his arms drop as he snorted with amusement. "Oh my fucking god, Nines."

"Am I wrong?"

Gavin shrugged. "I'm going to shower."

He removed his bag from his back and headed to the bathroom, grabbing a towel on the way. Gavin went into the bathroom and took a quick shower before emerging, drying, dressing, then going back out again. Gavin went to the kitchen and picked up his bag again, swinging it over his shoulder.

"I'm ready to go."

"As am I," Nines said. "Hank, Connor!"

"Ready!" Connor chirped in response from another spot in the house. Connor entered the kitchen with Hank close behind him. Hank walked in front of him.

"Let's get going. Be careful, there are definitely going to be androids around," Hank warned.

"Be gay do crimes," Gavin said. "Take the lead, Hank."

"Alright." 

Hank led the small group out onto the back porch, then down the stairs. Gavin gave the house one final glance before looking forward again. The ragtag group walked inconspicuously out of the back yard and onto the sidewalk, trying not to draw attention towards them. In the air lingered what was nearly an uneasy tension and silence, but the four seemed to hold the same thought - get out of here unnoticed.

Gavin didn't like walking outdoors in broad daylight. He felt very on edge, like something bad could happen at any moment. The silence that had fallen amongst them was piercing, and he feared that the lack of conversation could draw unwanted attention - the reasoning is that silence in a group could be easily questionable.

They made it to the edge of the street, where they turned a corner and walked down the continuation of the sidewalk. Gavin saw an android with the corner of his eye but he forced himself not to glance over in its direction. 

As they walked down more streets without being stopped, Gavin felt more at ease. He felt a hand take his. Gavin looked up to see a smiling Nines. Gavin smiled back and squeezed Nines' hand, gazing at him fondly before pulling his hand away.

Just as Gavin was feeling more confident, he heard someone shout, "Hey, that's the missing human!"

"Shit!" Gavin gasped. He quickly shoved a hoodie onto Nines' body and pulled the hood over his head before the group made a run for it. Hank didn't last too long running, so Nines picked him up and they kept running. Connor took up the front and dashed down the path, narrowly avoiding collision with androids. Gavin and Nines followed closely behind.

Gavin threw a glance back over his shoulder and saw that a couple of androids had joined the chase. Connor reached the next corner and took a sharp turn. As Nines and Gavin went around the bend, they were suddenly grabbed onto tightly and yanked downwards into a bush. Nines struggled to keep his grip on Hank, and promptly let go of him when he realised that it was Connor who had grabbed them both.

The four were now hiding in a line of bushes. 

"Don't move," Connor whispered.

The androids ran right past the bush. They waited to make sure it was safe, and when it seemed to be, Gavin let go of the breath he didn't realise that he was holding.

Nines picked Hank up again, and Connor got up and sprinted across the road. Gavin and Nines sprung to their feet and ran after him. The group ran into a random backyard and halted at the brick wall acting as a fence.

Connor took a few steps back before running at the wall and jumping. He scraped his synthetic skin but didn't make it. Nines quickly went into action; grabbing Connor and hoisting him up onto the wall.

"Give me Gavin," Connor said. Nines picked Gavin up, and Gavin took Connor's outstretched hand. With the help of the androids, he made it up the wall. Nines then held up Hank, who Connor and Gavin helped up. Then Connor reached as far as he could then began to pull Nines up. Gavin grabbed onto some of his hoodie and hauled him up onto the wall.

Nines jumped down first, and helped everyone else down. Once all four were down from the wall, and Hank could use his own legs, they ran across the backyard and emerged out onto the new sidewalk. 

Gavin slowed down to a halt and panted. "Fucking shit, that was intense."

"We still have some walking to do," Hank said. "Be ready and be careful."


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

"Carry me."

"No."

"Why not? You carried Hank!"

"No."

"What?"

"No."

"Come on, carry me!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

Gavin was pestering Nines, wanting to be carried by him. He liked being close with his boyfriend, and he also didn't like walking.

"Carry me."

"No."

"Do you love me?"

"No- wait, wait! I meant yes!"

"Connor, did you hear that!? Nines said he doesn't love me!" Gavin exclaimed, jogging forward a few steps to be walking next to Connor.

"Top ten anime betrayals," Connor said.

"Holy fuck. Have you been learning memes too?"

"Yes. Memes are a very interesting aspect regarding human comedy and psychology," Connor replied.

"Uh, yeah, that. Hank, how much further do we have?"

"I don't really know, I've only been to the mansion once," Hank said.

"How do you know if you're going the right way?" Gavin asked.

"Because if I didn't, I wouldn't be leading us all there."

"Can't argue with that."

"How about I connect to a GPS and lead us?" Nines suddenly suggested, an unexpectedly cold tone present in his voice. 

It was as if Nines had just decided that Hank was incapable of leading them. This caused Gavin to frown. Nines trusted Hank, it was out of character for Nines to suddenly distrust his judgement. Even if Hank had only been to the mansion once, he said it himself - he would not be leading the group if he was not confident to be leader. Why was Hank’s knowledge suddenly being questioned? "Isn't it safer to follow Hank?"

"Yeah," Hank said, glaring at Nines. "It's a lot better if I lead us and you know that."

"It was just a thought," Nines said. "Forget that I brought it up."

As Hank muttered something incoherent under his breath, Connor said, “More androids would probably begin to appear soon. We should try to find somewhere to spend the rest of the afternoon.”

“I have a connection in the area,” Hank replied. “I’ll be able to get us a hotel room for the night. Don’t expect anything much, as they can only do their best with what rooms are available on such short notice. Would you want to go there, or keep moving?”

“The hotel sounds like the safer choice,” Connor said.

“Yes, but travelling throughout the afternoon and the night will get us there quicker,” Nines pointed out.

Hank turned to face Gavin. “Gavin, what do you think?”

Oh God, oh fuck, a decision, was Gavin’s initial thought process.

“We should, er…”

Gavin looked from Connor to Nines. They both put forward valid points. But in the end Gavin decided that it was too dangerous to go the risky way. The group had come too far to even consider doing something that could result in their downfall. Plus, Gavin didn’t know if he was truly ready to be face-to-face with a whole group of people.

“We go to the hotel,” Gavin said. “What’s the name of the people that can help us?”

“Aspen,” Hank said.

“Okay… And the other people?”

“What do you mean? Oh, Aspen is one person. They're non-binary so they use they and them pronouns,” Hank explained. 

“Oh, right, okay,” Gavin said. “I kind of forgot that that’s a thing.”

“Well, remember,” Hank replied sharply.

"Er, alright. How long until we get to the hotel?"

"Eh… around half an hour. Luckily it's near these outskirts of Detroit, so it's safer to get there," Hank said.

Gavin, Nines, Hank and Connor spent the next bit of time walking through the empty streets. They did pass some androids; the roads couldn't be a complete ghost town, but no one took notice of them.

They made it to the hotel and walked inside. Hank went up to the front counter. "Hey, is Aspen around?"

"Yes," the android receptionist responded. "I'll go get them for you." 

The android left, then came back about a minute later with another android. The newcomer who Gavin presumed was Aspen had short, black hair and freckles.

"Thanks, Synthisa," the android said. "May you leave us alone for a few moments?"

"Strange, but sure," Synthisa replied before leaving.

"Thanks, Synth." They turned to Hank and grinned. "Hey, Hank! It's been a while."

"Sure has, Aspen." Gavin watched as Hank and Aspen engaged in a quick yet caring hug.

"What brings you around?" Aspen asked.

"My friends and I are passing through, and need somewhere to crash for the night. Think you can get us a room?" Hank asked.

"Let me see what I can do," Aspen said. They walked behind the counter and began to type away at the computer. "Hmm… I can give you two rooms, side by side. One with a double bed and one with two singles. Will that be sufficient?"

"Definitely, thank you," Hank said. "I owe you big time."

"Nah, I owed you anyway," Aspen said. "Were even now, but you're still welcome here anytime. Okay… Your rooms are 68 and 69. Enjoy your stay." They gave Hank two room keys.

"Haha, 69," Gavin said very maturely.

Hank rolled his eyes. "Come on, idiots." He, having been at the hotel before, led the group to their rooms. Of course, Gavin and Nines took the room with the double bed.

"It feels weird to be in a hotel again, especially with what happened last time we stayed in one," Gavin said as he grabbed a glass. He filled it up with water which he downed quickly. "Ah… polluted Detroit water, my favourite."

"I am not sure if that should be your favourite drink," Nines replied. "Perhaps it shouldn't be."

"I literally don't care." Gavin had another glass of water. "Love you."

Nines smiled gently. "Love you too."

Nines walked over to Gavin and put his arms around his waist. Gavin responded by slinging his arms around Nines' neck. Nines gave Gavin a kiss on the forehead.

"This is gay," Gavin said.

"Indeed it is. We are both men."

"You're right. Very homosexual." Gavin set his head on Nines' shoulder, but due to Nines' height, doing that strained Gavin's neck by a small amount which caused some aching. "Stop being so damn tall. Can you shrink?"

"I am incapable of shrinking, my deepest apologies," Nines replied.

"Apology not accepted. Illegal and how dare you."

Nines let out a single laugh. "You can be so silly." He buried his face in Gavin's hair before pulling away and starting to pepper Gavin with kisses all over his face, which caused Gavin to blush and grin. Nines picked Gavin up randomly, his hands going on his back and ass for support, and carried him to the bed. 

"Careful, you're holding something very important," Gavin said.

"I have never heard you say something so kind about yourself."

"What? I was talking about my ass," Gavin replied.

"Oh, okay. I suppose that's a great package that comes with the bundle deal," Nines winked. Gavin felt a small blush creep onto his cheeks. Nines set Gavin down on top of the blankets, and he remained standing in front of him.

"What in the hell and fuck does that mean and imply?" Gavin asked.

"Whatever you want it to."

Gavin felt Nines' hands go to his sides, and before he knew it, Gavin was being tickled mercilessly. Gavin jolted and jerked, falling backwards onto the back so he was now laying down. This motion caught him completely off guard, and Gavin began to laugh. Tears quickly sprung to his eyes as Nines just kept going, and he felt like he was going to piss himself.

"Fuck off!" Gavin laughed out, struggling to breathe due to the bouts of laughter.

Nines tickled harder. 

"I will piss on you, stop!"

Nines purposely pulled a thoughtful expression, like he was considering and weighing out the pros and cons of listening to Gavin, then he shrugged and stopped tickling Gavin. Gavin gasped, breathing air heavily in and out. He reached forward and grabbed Nines' shirt collar, pulling him downwards so Nines was suddenly pinning Gavin to the bed. Nines was surprised, but quickly went along with it.

"You're a motherfucker, but you're sexy so I forgive you," Gavin said.

"Thank you, but I feel no regret whatsoever," Nines replied.

"Shut the fuck up."

"I would show you one of the many Uno cards, one with a reverse symbol in order to deflect that order back to you, but as I have none in my possession I shall do the next best thing." Nines leaned in and kissed Gavin.

Gavin instantly kissed back, ignoring and forgetting the confusing sentence Nines had just crafted. The kiss began deep and loving, but things got heated very quickly. Gavin suspected that there was more than love behind this kiss, but he was totally into it.

Nines broke the kiss to gaze into Gavin's eyes. He gave Gavin a quick but deep kiss, then moved on to nibble on his jawline and neck.

One thing led to another. Nines and Gavin spent the rest of the night basking in each other's presence, and a night that Gavin would never forget.

The next morning, Gavin woke up in fucking pain. His wounds, which were healing rapidly and were mostly only visible under his shirt, were giving him pain, along with another form of pain due to certain activities.

He rolled over to look at Nines, who was holding onto Gavin as he rested.

"Yo, dumbass, wake up," Gavin said. Then he realised he may be ignored. "Oh wait. I mean… Nines, please wake up. I'm in a ton of pain and I need painkillers."

Nines opened his eyes. He kissed Gavin's head before letting go of Gavin, and sitting up.

"Wait! Why did you let go of me?" Gavin asked.

"To get your painkiller pills," Nines replied.

"Nines, can't you keep holding me? Please?"

"No, I cannot. Not if you wish for me to fetch you your painkillers," Nines said.

"Yes you can," Gavin said insistingly.

"I cannot." Nines got up and out of the bed.

"Haha, I can see your penis," Gavin said. "Such a nice view."

Nines responded to this by putting on boxers.

"Hey, rude!" Gavin complained. "Hey, still not complaining though."

Nines put on a pair of pants.

"Fuck. I should stop," Gavin said to himself. He didn't whine any further, and instead looked at Nines' hot torso.

Nines walked to his bag and Gavin stared after him, watching his every move - he had some eye candy to enjoy. Nines grabbed Gavin's painkillers, then got some water from the tap.

"Hah! You're using the polluted Detroit water," Gavin exclaimed.

"I never said to not drink it," Nines pointed out, "I just said it probably should not be your drink of preference."

"You say everything so fancy and weird."

"Not everything." Nines brought the painkillers and water over to Gavin, who very swiftly swallowed the pills, along with the water to lubricate his throat.

"Thanks," Gavin said. "Let's cuddle some more as I wait for these to kick in."

Nines took the glass from Gavin and set it on the bedside table before getting back into the bed with him. Nines pulled Gavin close to his body and kissed his forehead. Gavin cuddled up closely to Nines, resting his head on his chest.

As Gavin enjoyed the tranquility, the door randomly slammed open. Hank was standing at the door.

"Time to leave," Hank said.

"Fuck off, let my painkillers hit me first at least!" Gavin yelled, pulling the blanket over his exposed body. "And don't come in unexpectedly like that!"

"I can do what I want. We'll leave in fifteen," Hank said. He left the room, closing the door behind him. Only sociopaths leave the door open.

"Ugh, his vibes are so yuck," Gavin said.

Nines shifted and let go of Gavin carefully. "I am going to get us both clothing," he informed Gavin. 

"Where are you going?" Gavin asked.

"Not far, just to our bags," Nines said. He sat up and then got out of the bed. He went over to his and Gavin's bags, and took out a change of clothing for Gavin and a shirt for Nines. Nines walked back to the bed and set down the clothing before picking up his android jacket off of the floor. Nines put on the shirt he had selected for himself before putting on his android clothing.

"Hey Nines, could you please grab a shirt for me to change into?" Gavin politely asked. "It shouldn't be hard to get into a shirt."

Nines replied with a nod instead of verbally, and picked up the black shirt that he had selected for Gavin. He walked over to him and handed him the shirt. Gavin, with some struggle, managed to wriggle and eventually slip into the shirt.

Nines grabbed out a can of tuna and a fork from Gavin's bag and then walked over to Gavin. 

"Eat this," he said.

"Yuck, tuna? Is it even in date?"

Nines checked the can and found a best-before date. It was still good to eat. "Yes. Now eat up."

"Ew, fine."

Gavin slowly sat up and he took the can and the fork from Nines. He opened up the can and reluctantly began to eat the tuna that was inside of it. It tasted strange, probably due to the age and Gavin’s general disliking for the food. Gavin ate all of it, and he gave the tin back to Nines once he had finished eating the food.

“Thanks,” Gavin said.

“Of course.”

Nines threw away the can of tuna in the trash can provided in the room. As he did that, Gavin was forcing himself to stand up on his feet whilst ignoring and trying to avoid all of the pain that he felt in the different parts of his body. 

He wobbled, as gaining balance proved itself to be a little bit of a challenge, be he eventually managed to stand up properly on his feet. Gavin glanced over to Nines who was searching the hotel room for useful items they could bring along with them. 

“Hey Nines, can you carry me?” Gavin asked. “I be hurting.”  
Nines looked over at Gavin then had a disapproving expression. “Gavin, sit down. I’ll come and carry you once Hank gets back.”

Gavin nodded and he sat back down on the bed. He watched Nines preparing for their leave. As Nines was reaching out to grab something, he suddenly paused. He turned and looked at Gavin.

“Once we reach our destination and you get settled in, I need to leave,” he said. “I have been away for a suspicious length of time.”

“That’s yuck,” Gavin said. He sighed deeply. As much as he didn’t want Nines to leave, he knew that it had to be done in order for suspicions to not raise too much regarding Nines’ disappearances.

“I have to go down to the reception and speak with Aspen,” Nines suddenly announced.

“Um, why?” Gavin asked.

“You’ll see.” Nines left the room without another word, leaving Gavin’s mind full of questions. 

Gavin sat in silence, twiddling with his thumbs as he waited for his boyfriend to return to him to carry him and love him. As he was simply vibing, growing bored quickly, he suddenly heard gasping and screaming from the room over.

“Damn, those gays are kinky,” Gavin muttered to himself.

Hold on. Those screams were of pain and fear, not pleasure. Gavin felt his blood run cold - those sounds were all too familiar. Connor and Hank were in danger.

As Gavin quickly jumped up onto his feet, the door slammed open and androids entered the room, armed with guns pointed right at Gavin.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Note— this chapter is 4,290 words long. It's my birthday (28/2), so I decided to give a gift to all of you! Enjoy!  
~~~~~

Gavin, overwhelmed with shock, stiffened as he stared at the swarm of enemies suddenly enter his room. He stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over a bag on the floor. Luckily, his pain was dulled and mostly numb from the painkillers. He was fucked. He was so fucked.

There was no escape. No way out. At least Nines got out.

How the hell did he get out?

Gavin shoved his thoughts away as he looked at the androids. “W-Who the fuck are you?”

“Gavin Reed, we have been ordered to take you back into custody, along with Hank Anderson. Connor will be killed for his treason, and your punishments are yet to be revealed.”

“No. No fucking way am I letting you killing Connor."

No. I won’t let that happen. I will not let anyone die and I will not put Connor in the way of harm.

“Fuck yourself!” Gavin yelled as the androids slowly advanced. “Just let me live! I want to be free! Let me fucking be free!”

An android came close with a gun and handcuffs, and Gavin quickly darted his hand forward and grabbed the gun, yanking it from the android’s hand. He then shoved the android to the ground and kept it pinned down with a foot. Gavin pointed his gun at the group of androids.

“One step closer and he gets it,” Gavin hissed.

The one who had spoken responded to this by pointing his gun at the android on the ground and shooting his head. Gavin screeched and receded, staring at the android corpse in horror.

“Y-You, you’re… You’re fucking heartless!” Gavin screeched out. Now he was truly starting to panic - his only possible leverage was nothing to the group he was trying to get away from.

“Give up, human,” the leader said. He had his gun pointed directly at Gavin’s forehead. “You are coming with us.”

Gavin realised he did in fact have leverage.

Gavin pressed the gun to his own temple.

"No. No I am fucking not."

"Put down the gun!" The leader of the group of androids demanded.

"No. I'm not putting down the gun, and I'm not going with you. Let me go, or I'll shoot," Gavin threatened.

They didn't want him harmed. Using one hand to keep the gun pressed against his own temple, he slowly walked over to where his and Nines' bags were. He paused before quickly grabbing them and running towards the window. 

Gavin heard yelling and gunshots behind him as he ran towards the window. He opened it in one swift movement, then jumped out of it. Thank fuck for the lack of a fly screen.

Gavin was falling. He was falling and he had no plan. He stretched his feet out as he clutched onto the bags he was holding.

Gavin screwed his eyes shut - he was done for. He was definitely about to die. He had suffered all this pain and had come so far, grown so much, all for nothing.

"I love you, Nines," Gavin whispered into thin air.

Gavin landed directly on the shoulders of an android walking by, it was an unbelievable fluke, even more so that Gavin was uninjured and did not even have aching balls. The android gasped and stumbled, toppling down and landing on the ground on, with Gavin bouncing back to avoid hitting the ground. Gavin was stunned but got off the back of who he fell onto.

"Hi. Thanks for saving me a painful landing. Bye," Gavin said before dashing away. This left the android man to stare onwards at him with confusion.

Gavin ran back into the hotel and up the first flight of stairs. He skidded to a halt when he saw none other than Nines who was holding a blanket in his arms, and seemed painfully unaware of the surrounding events.

"Gavin, are you okay?" Nines asked. The question sparked at immediate notice of Gavin's frantic expression.

"Connor and Hank are in huge danger. We need to go, now."

Gavin grabbed Nines' wrist and went up another flight of stairs, then down the hall towards the room shared by Connor and Hank. He barely stopped to think about how he had survived a fall from a two story building, and landed on someone’s shoulders. Unharmed.

Androids that were in Gavin’s room were filing quickly out of it, and Gavin pulled Nines into the closest room. 

“Who the hell are you?”

Gavin and Nines looked at an android who was staring at them. The android spotted Gavin’s gun and screamed.

“Er…” Gavin peeked out the door. The androids who had cornered Gavin had passed.

“Sorry, wrong room!” He said with a quick glance thrown in the android's direction. Gavin dragged a very confused Nines out of the room, and quickly pulled him down the hall to room 68. Gavin burst into the room that Hank and Connor were staying in. Inside of it, there was a group of androids surrounding Hank and Connor, who were knelt on the floor with their hands behind their heads.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuuuuck, we're screwed. 

Gavin stared at the pair and the crowding androids. He had no plan. His mind couldn’t think of anything due to the overwhelming panic and the impending doom that was clouding his mind. It was like the swirling rivers in a huge storm, waters rising and causing destruction in its path. He felt Nines squeeze his hand. As Gavin looked onwards, he saw Connor move his head and his LED flickered yellow before going red again. Connor knew that Gavin was present, and that he was armed - Gavin was holding the gun still in his hand.

Connor looked at Gavin for a second before he looked back at the androids, and his dear friends kneeling on the floor.

"Gavin, what do we do?" Nines asked. His mouth was right next to Gavin's ear, and his whisper was the ghost of a breath. So gentle, it would have been a perfect tone for any romantic situation, but this was not that. Nonetheless, it sent a shiver down Gavin’s spine. Nines’ icy eyes gazed gently at Gavin. Those eyes of frost, a thick sheet of ice coating a once powerful river, so full of secrets and misery yet so enticing and calming to look at. Gavin was slowly breaking through the ice, ranging from gentle taps to violent smashes, but whenever he believes that he has almost broken through, the ice rapidly increases in density and freezes back over again. Time after time, it would hit Gavin that he didn’t truly know Nines.

“I-I don’t know, Nines, I’m not smart,” Gavin whispered back after forcing his mind back into the present.. “You’re a robot, android, you have all of the brains! Well, not brains, but you know what I mean. You think of something.”

Nines nodded and hummed in thought. “I have a plan, but it would result in executing all of these androids,” he replied. “I need not let out the secret that I am on your side.”

“Are you actually stupid?” Gavin whispered back. “We can’t just go around ki- shh.” Gavin saw an android turning towards the door, so he shoved Nines back with an arm, before receding as well.

Gavin saw more androids coming down the hall, so he quickly threw Nines against the wall and pinned him to it. Gavin leaned in and, as a cover, began to make out with him.

So this is how tops feel, Gavin thought as he kissed his boyfriend. The three androids walking past were dragging along a thrashing and yelling Aspen. That crosses out the possibility that they snitched. 

How the hell did they find us? Gavin thought. As soon as the androids went into the room, Gavin pulled away from Nines. The two of them were red in the face.

“So, you decided to try being dominant?” Nines said, raising an eyebrow. “Thanks. I hate it.”

“Me too, but also shut the fuck up, I had to do it or we would’ve gotten caught,” Gavin replied. “So, any plans?”

Nines nodded. He removed his android skin, leaving his face a robotic white and grey. It was unsettling to see his lover like that. Nines then took off his android jacket and discarded it on the floor, and Gavin set their bags beside it. He was wearing a button-up shirt beneath it.

“Let’s storm them,” Nines said.

“You need a weapon,” Gavin said. Just as he spoke, the same three androids that delivered Aspen to the room were leaving. 

“Perfect,” Gavin said quietly. The androids started walking the opposite way to where Nines and Gavin were standing. 

“Sup, fuckers,” Gavin said louder than he was previously speaking. The three androids turned around then instantly charged for him., due to recognising him instantly. Gavin and Nines took a few steps back, and as soon as the the first android reached them, it instantly grabbed Gavin who gasped. Nines quickly knocked it out with a punch directed at the right area. He took the android’s gun, then proceeded to knock out the other two androids before they could react.

“You are so hot when saving my ass,” Gavin said.

“I’m always hot,” Nines replied as he knelt down. He took the guns from the androids, one had a pistol and two had shotguns. Nines also grabbed their ammunition before grabbing their arms individually, one by one, connecting and wiping their memory.

“What did you just do?” Gavin asked. “You did wipe their memory, right? I’ve seen you do shit like that before, but to steal their memory.”

“Yes. They will not remember what happened, and that I was here. I'm afraid they could've recognised me."

“You should’ve stolen their memory to see who sent them.”

“I did not think of that,” Nines said. “It is too late now.” 

Nines stood up, handed Gavin a shotgun, then held the other shotgun and the pistol. Now they were both armed. Gavin looked at the unconscious androids before going back to the room, standing against the doorway. 

The androids were insulting Connor and calling him names. Because he was a traitor, they turned on him in a heartbeat. Connor, who had had enough of this belittlement, spat synthetic saliva seethingly, showing strongly sour sentience.

One of the androids grabbed Connor roughly by the neck, and Aspen responded by standing up and throwing the android onto the ground, forcing her to lose the grip that she had on Connor. Aspen looked up and saw Gavin and Nines, and gave them a tiny nod. 

Gavin and Nines exchanged a glance before entering the room, guns pointed at the androids who somehow have not yet noticed their presence. Gavin quickly put the safety switch on the pistol then slid it across the floor through the legs of the androids, right in front of Hank. Hank grabbed the gun, turned off the safety, then stood up, pointing his weapon at the androids. Gavin got a clear view - there were seven in the room. Some of the androids must have left; he could have sworn there were previously more.

Gavin and Nines used the grip of their guns to knock out two of the androids, and Hank forward did the same. The rest of the androids instantly surrendered, dropping their weapons and raising their hands. Aspen, now free, grabbed Connor and Hank’s wrists and pulled them forward to Gavin and Nines. Gavin threw Hank his shotgun, and Nines threw Connor his shotfun

“Thank Ra9 for you!” Aspen exclaimed, their face dripping with relief.

Connor walked forward and pulled both Gavin and Nines into a tight hug. Gavin stiffened, for he had not been expecting such affection from his friend, but he hugged back.

“I felt so scared,” Connor whispered, barely enough for Gavin to hear.

Hank walked forward and joined the hug, while Aspen walked awkwardly. It was a sweet moment of affection shared between friends. Friends who had come a long way, but still had a long to go.

“These dumbasses really should have kept an eye on the door and been less cowardly, “ Gavin said. “This was too easy.”

Too easy.

Shit.

As soon as he spoke, Gavin realised the suspicion of the situation. How and why did the group of androids give in so easily? He did not trust this at all. There was a feeling deep down in his gut, screaming for them to get the fuck out.

“We have to go, now,” Gavin said with urgency.

“Gavin, what’s wrong?” Nines frowned.

“I-I just, I have a feeling. We have to get the fuck out of here!”

Gavin grabbed Nines’ hand and quickly pulled him towards the entrance, with the other three people following close behind them. Gavin ran out into the hallway where he immediately skidded to a halt. His eyes seemed to boggle out of his skull as he stared onwards.

At least ten androids were facing them, all armed and aggressive. One was holding Nines’ android jacket and Gavin’s bags, and her face bore a wicked grin.

“Nines himself is on the side on a traitor-” she looked at Connor, “- an idiot-” she looked at Aspen, “- and two worthless sacks of shit.” Her eyes landed on Gavin, and seemed to pierce directly into the veil of his soul.

“Don’t you fucking dare insult them like that,” Nines snarled dangerously, stepping in front of Gavin protectively.

“Oh, Nines. I almost pity you. You are throwing everything away to stand up for such worthless people.” She took a step forward. “Give in, now. Or I might have to reveal your little secret.”

The determination instantly faded from Nines’ eyes. His eyes went wide and he seemed to freeze up. Gavin watched in astonishment as Nines instantly became stricken with fear.

“Nines, what the fuck is she talking about?” Gavin asked, worriedly glancing at his boyfriend. “What secret?”

She laughed. “They seriously have no idea? Just when I thought you may have a heart of gold,” she smirked. 

“How do you know?” Nines managed to gasp out.

“That doesn’t matter. How about I give them a demonstration of your secret? Lucinda, the remote, please.” 

“No, no, please, no,” Nines begged. 

Gavin had never seen Nines beg like that. What the hell was he hiding? Gavin watched as another female android stepped forward and handed a remote to the leading female. She grabbed the remote and grabbed a button, and Gavin watched Nines in a cold anticipation.

Nines looked at Gavin, his jaws agape as if he was trying to say something to him. Nines’ eyes flashed black, then red, then black again, before settling for dark blue pupils. Gavin took a step back.

“Nines…?”

Nines lurched forward and punched Gavin in the face. He grabbed him by the throat and began to choke the life out of him. 

“Nines, what are you doing!?” Connor screamed, running forward and trying to tear Nines off of Gavin. Nines turned around and shoved Connor away. Connor did not give up - he grabbed onto Nines’ left arm and tried to pull him away from Gavin.

The android leader was cackling maniacally as she watched the scene unfold. Hank raised his gun and shot her without hesitation. More androids pushed forward and began to shoot at Hank, but Aspen joined his side and began to shoot at them as well.   
Gavin gasped and tried to scream, but he couldn’t. He could barely breathe. In his chest, his heart was shattering to pieces as the one person that he trusted most was choking the life out of him. Gavin’s vision was beginning to show splotches of black. He trashed around but was getting weaker by the second as his oxygen source was cut off. Gavin felt a single tear slip as he fell limp in Nines’ grasp.

Hank darted downwards, sliding across the floor, and grabbed the remote. It fumbled around in his hand but he got a fair grip. Hank pressed the button again, and Nines dropped Gavin, just as he passed out.

Hank looked at Nines with disgust. Nines was staring down at the body of his lover, body trembling as he stared at what his own hands had done to the very person he loved.

“Snap out of it and fight!” Hank hissed. “We have to kill these androids. They know too much!”

Sombelry, Nines nodded. He raised his gun and began to kill without mercy. Hank did the same. Connor and Aspen hesitated, but eventually they joined the pair too. The enemy androids were quick to fall, screams escaping their throats. The hallway was painted a deep blue that streaked across the once monochromatic floors and walls, and thirium was still pooling from the bodies that were now a new decoration. The remote that the enemies had used to turn Nines lay on the carpet among the corpses.

“Never again am I killing,” Aspen said. Their eyes were full of sadness - they were not at all adjusted to the life of killing “Where do we go from here?”

As they spoke, Nines walked over to Gavin and crouched beside him. Desperate for any signs of life, he did a full and in-depth scan of his body. Gavin was barely breathing, but he was alive. Nines was filled with newfound hope. He placed his hands on Gavin’s chest and began to press against his ribcage rhythmically, performing CPR on him. Nines filled his mouth with oxygen, as he was technically unable to consume it due to his lack of lungs, and pressed his mouth against Gavin’s. He breathed into his mouth before continuing to press down on his chest.

“Wake up, please just wake up,” Nines mumbled.

Connor carefully crouched beside Nines. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid of Nines now.

“Carry him and take him with us,” Connor said softly. 

Nines looked at Connor. There was pain glinting in his eyes. “You want me with you even after what I did?”

“Of course I do. You’ll always be like a brother to me,” Connor said gently. “But you have to tell us what the hell happened. What you did to Gavin was terrifying.”

“Hurry up your stupid chick-flic moment,” Hank interjected sharply. “We can’t stay. Remember there are other people here who probably called the police.”

Nines nodded and he carefully picked Gavin up, cradling him in his arms. 

“Follow me, I have access to the work elevator,” Aspen said. Once they spoke, they headed directly for the elevator area, with the rest of the group following them. Aspen used their worker keycard to open the work elevator. The ragtag group mixed with androids and humans squashed into the elevator - it was smaller than a normal elevator so everyone was uncomfortably close.

It was painfully obvious that Hank, Connor, and Aspen were pressed themselves against the wall to be as far away from Nines as they could manage. Nines tried to make himself believe that it was to give Gavin space. Gavin’s neck was badly bruising, and even unconscious, his face seemed paralysed in a state of terror. Trying to deceive himself didn’t work - Nines is an android, after all. His friends were terrifying. Why wouldn’t they be? Nines tried to kill his boyfriend. He should have said something sooner. Nines’ thoughts were bringing him more pain by the second. 

The elevator stopped at underground parking that was below the hotel. As soon as the doors opened, everyone quickly filed out. 

“I figured this would be the easiest place to get out,” Aspen said.

“Alright,” Hank said. “Let’s get the fuck outta here and I can continue leading you bunch of bastards.”

“Are you sure you want me to come along?” Nines asked. All eyes fell on him.

“Of course,” Connor said. “You didn’t hurt Gavin on purpose.”

“When he wakes up,” Hank added, “You have to tell us what the hell happened back there.”

Nines didn’t reply. Once Hank realised that Nines would not be answering him, he rolled his eyes and began to walk towards the exit of the subterranean parking lot. They escaped the area without any trouble. The day was spent in almost silent walking.

Around sunset, Hank announced they were close to the mansion. His face was full of excitement and anticipation.  
Nines had carried Gavin the whole way throughout the day. He hadn’t woken up yet, but he had twitched in his slumber. It was like a normal sleep, if you look past the fact that no speech came from him at all.

Hank stopped at the bottom of a hill. “We are definitely resting before climbing that cunt,” he said. Hank plopped down onto the ground and got his water bottle that he had given to Connor.

Nines sat down and sat Gavin down on the ground beside him. He put him in a comfortable position and watched over him, watching his face for any signs of consciousness.

Wake up, Gavin. Please, please just wake up.

Nines waited. His heart ached so, so badly. Nines very gently tilted Gavin's head backwards and looked at the bruising. Gavin's neck was a mix of red and deep purple. 

Just as Nines was examining the bruises, Gavin's eyes shot open and he hoarsely gasped. He sat up, saw Nines, and tried to speak, but all that came out was incoherent rasping.

"Lay back down," Nines said quickly.

Gavin tried to get away from Nines. He was terrified. Realising what was happening, Nines let go of his boyfriend. Connor quickly came over, whispered something to Gavin, then lay him down slowly. Gavin passed out again. Nines frowned and bowed his head. Gavin was terrified of him.

"Don't you need to go back to protect your reputation or whatever?" Hank suddenly asked sharply.

"Gavin's more important than my reputation, Hank. I'll just say that I needed to go on a break."

"Are you kidding? You choked him out of his goddamn mind!"

"Don't fight," Connor interjected. "I have something that may help."

Connor took his bag off his back and opened it. He pulled out a syringe that was filled with teal liquid.

"Nines, you gave me this two years ago," he said. "You said it will give a speedy recovery to a human with the one dose, but you only gave me one dose."

"Oh, yes, the Cearem that I gave to you," Nines said.

"Excuse me but what the fuck are you talking about?" Hank asked.

"Cearem is a discontinued experiment created in secret," Nines explained. "Before The Uprising, there were government-hired doctors and scientists working on this special medicine that could cure anything in an instant. They didn't quite get there, but they did create a medicine that significantly boosts the immune system and helps with a swifter recovery of wounds. I managed to smuggle this out for Connor, as he would be closer to Gavin than myself. I agree that this is the time to use it."

"Jesus Christ, that could've solved a lot of problems," Hank said. "How the fuck is it even possible? Eh, whatever. Were you in love with Gavin before The Uprising?"

Nines was surprised, but he gave an honest answer. "Not in love, per se. But I've always had feelings for Gavin. I'm the reason why he wasn't killed on the day of The Uprising."

"Gay."

Nines rolled his eyes. Connor handed Nines the Cearem, which Nines carefully positioned right on Gavin's collarbone. He didn't have any supplies to clean the area, so he had to inject the liquid with lots of caution. Nines slowly injected the medicine into Gavin's skin.

Once done, Nines yote the syringe far away with one swift arm movement. He then looked at Gavin, hoping he would wake up. He didn't. This isn't normal, is it?

About five minutes later, Gavin's eyes opened up. He saw Nines and started to panic. 

"Get him away from me!" Gavin gasped. His voice was very raspy, but at least he could speak.

Aspen quickly sat in front of Gavin. "Gavin, what Nines had done to you was unintentional on his part. It may be hard to be around him right now, but he won't attack you again. I promise. We are almost at human Jericho. Okay?"

Gavin nodded, swallowing softly before flinching. His throat was in so much pain. Gavin cast a petrified glance at Nines.

One moment he loved me, the next he was killing me.

"I'm ready to go. Welcome back to life, Gavin," Hank said before standing up.

"I need to carry you," Nines said to Gavin. 

"I'm perfectly capable of walking," Gavin replied. "Let's go."

The group packed up and kept walking. Gavin's breathing was audible the whole way, and it was the only thing breaking the silence apart from a soft gale gently stirring the long grass. The grass brushed against Gavin's thighs as he travelled in silence with his companions and… Nines. What the hell was Nines at this point? Still a lover? Gavin felt like after the whole incident at the hotel, he'd need at least a year's worth of therapy.

Before they knew it, the group was standing in front of a large gate. Just beyond it stood a huge mansion. Gavin felt his jaw drop.

Gavin led the way, pushing open the gate then walking up to the mansion. He stopped in front of it to stare with absolute disbelief. This is what they had spent so long trying to reach - a place where Gavin could rest. A place that Gavin would be safe.

"We finally made it," Gavin murmured, his words being gently carried by the wind. "Human Jericho."


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

After the astonishment had faded from Gavin, he cast an awkward glance at Hank, who seemed more joyful than ever before. It made perfect sense - after nearly losing his life, and having to deal with a bunch of idiots (well mostly just Gavin and his dumbassery), Hank was finally home. Hopefully this place could become like a home to Gavin as well.

"So, uh, what now?" Gavin asked in a raspy voice. His throat was still severely damaged due to the harm inflicted on him by Nines.

He still hasn't explained what the hell happened back there, Gavin thought. It was terrifying. The thought of merely being near Nines sent a shiver down Gavin's spine. He didn't make it obscure that he was avoiding being near Nines.

"Now, we wait." Hank raised his chin, and took a step towards the door. The group were all on the balcony of the mansion, with Aspen on the top step.

Some silent moments slipped slowly away. The tension clinging to the air was nearly enough to choke someone from the inside. Just as Gavin was about to complain, the front door slowly opened. A girl with blonde hair, no older than 15, poked her head out.

"Who are…" She trailed off as her eyes landed on a certain human. "Hank!"

The young teen ran forward and pulled Hank into a tight hug. "Hank, you're alive!" She exclaimed. She drew away. "Oh darn, you're pretty hurt." The girl walked back inside the building. "Hey, Hank's back!"

After the announcement was made, and with Hank not being able to get a word in, excited people streamed out of the door. Hank seemed to be popular in Human Jericho (the only place that could ever be possible. This place must truly be a place of opportunity!). But the sudden overwhelm of people heading right towards where Gavin was standing set off something inside of him. 

Gavin's breathing began to quicken, and his eyes pricked with slight tears. His legs felt weaker and he could barely focus on anything visually or audibly. His hand was brushed by a stranger.

Gavin turned and ran down the stairs, stumbling in a blinded flurry. He heard footsteps behind him, and he ran faster. He skidded around the corner and tripped on the ground around the side of the mansion. Gavin sat up and curled into a ball defensively, tears streaming down his cheeks as he gasped for air. He felt so weak, so vulnerable. His throat damage made breathing a lot harder, and a lot more painful.

He barely processed as two people knelt down in front of him. Gavin registered their familiar faces - Connor and Nines.

"Hey, hey, Gavin, just breathe, okay?" Connor said. He carefully reached out to touch Gavin, but he flinched away and continued to panic. Connor quickly realised that touching Gavin wasn't a solution. "I have some water."

Connor handed Gavin a water bottle. Gavin took it and sipped at the water, which helped only a little bit. The bottle was shaking in his hand.

"Let's breathe together, okay?" Nines said. He began to take deep breaths in with matching exhales.

Gavin shook his head. "L-Leave." He saw Nines' eyes cloud with dejection, but at that moment Gavin could barely even recognise the pain he had caused Nines. He stood up and left.

"Breathe with me," Connor said. "In, and out…"

With the help of Connor, Gavin eventually managed to calm down. He looked at Connor guiltily. 

"I'm so fucking sorry, Connor," Gavin said. "Thank you for helping me."

"Of course. I hope that you're okay."

Gavin stood up, wobbling but quickly gaining balance on his feet. He walked with Connor back to the balcony, where everyone had disappeared from. Connor walked with Gavin inside of Human Jericho, where curious faces approached them. Gavin was still shaken up, so his body stiffened.

"Can someone get us a room near Hank, Nines, and Aspen?" Connor asked. "Gavin isn't talking to anyone right now. There will be plenty of time to meet him later."

A gorgeous woman wearing a dark dress and heels stepped forward. "Third floor, two doors to the left. So, what's your type?"

Gavin stared blankly at her before speaking, "Men." He turned around and walked away, with a slightly smiling Connor stuck to his side.

Connor swiftly located Gavin's room. Hank was waiting outside the neighbouring bedroom.

"They gave us two rooms," Hank said. "Turns out Aspen knows people here, so they left to crash with their friends. Acquaintances. I don't know. However, I’m going to be staying with you lot.

Gavin peered into his room. Nines was sitting on the double bed and looking towards the window, with his back to Gavin. The window was dusty and the walls had a few cracks in them. The wallpaper was a faded lime colour with flower patterns, and was obviously very old. It was strange; some of the mansion looked modern, other parts appeared to be practically ancient. 

Gavin's lips transformed into a sour frown at the thought of sharing a room with Nines, which was implied due to Gavin being seated on the bed. He didn't even bother trying to hide his distrust as he said, "There is no way I'm sharing a room with him."

Nines turned to look at Gavin. "Gavin. I need to tell you about what had happened at the hotel."

"Oh yes, I know," Gavin said icily, a rasp evident in his voice.. "You choked me. I know."

"But, Gavin–"

"There is nothing more to say."

Nines' eyes flashed with pan. Gavin had always seen Nines' eyes as icy. They stuck out against his skin, and were easily noticeable. But before, there was warm water rushing beneath the depths. Now all that Gavin could see was complete and utter frost. A frost that was always there that Gavin had refused to see.

"I'm going to crash with Connor. He's the only one I feel safe with," Gavin said curtly. Hank gave an offended look from the doorway as Gavin continued. "Our arrival at this place has been very anticlimactic for all we've been through, not gonna lie."

Nines stood up and left the room. As soon as he left, Gavin closed the door and collapsed on the bed.

"I'm gonna take some time for myself," he told Connor. "Then I'll go meet the other humans.

Other humans. Actual people. It's been so long, Gavin thought. Hank doesn't count. He's a rat. And I barely got to talk to Angelica. I do suppose I saw all those people earlier, and that lady, but I didn't really talk to them.

The memory of Angelica flashed through Gavin's mind. He had lost her life for talking to Gavin. He hated the memory of her throat being slit and her crumpling down to the floor. She was used as an intimidation method to scare him. Her death could never be justified.

"I might go," Connor said.

Gavin quickly shot out his arm and grabbed Connor's sleeve. "No. Please, stay with me," Gavin said. "I don't want to be alone."

Connor nodded and sat down on the bed. Gavin let go of him. "Okay, Gavin. I understand. Sometimes, through anguish, loneliness can be the worst pain of all."

"I just have some bitch fuck anxiety, I don't give a fuck about your philosophical shit."

"Okay."

"Must you be so kind and accepting of what I say all the time?" Gavin asked. "You're a deviant. It's weird."

"I don't have any disagreements or resentment, so that'd technically just be me lying or being a dick."

"... Bye, Connor." Gavin shifted before grunting and getting up. He pulled off his shirt and felt Connor's eyes burning into his tattered and scarred torso as Gavin got under the blankets. 

"... Bye? But Gavin, neither of us are going anywhere," Connor said, his response delayed due to Gavin's scars catching him off guard. 

"I'm going somewhere."

"Where?"

"The fuck to sleep."

"Goodnight, Gavin."

"Yeah… ciao."

Gavin closed his eyes. Sleep did not come easy, but after a prolonged period of absolute silence, a slumber succumbed Gavin. He fell limp.

Gavin opened his eyes. He was dreaming. He looked around at his surroundings, taking him in as he scanned everything. He was in a meadow with long, green grass accompanied by flowers. The plants were swaying in the gentle breeze that was passing through. Gavin was completely aware of it but he couldn't entirely feel it.

Gavin began to walk around, looking all around at everything he saw. Near the edges of his vision were some large oak trees, casting dappled shadows onto the ground.

"Gavin," a voice whispered in his ear.

Gavin, startled, whipped around. No one was there.

"Gavin," the voice whispered again, now in the other ear. "Always do what you think is right."

"The fuck?" Gavin looked around, completely and utterly confused. He stepped forward, but now he was tumbling down a tunnel. Darkness surrounded Gavin, but he couldn't scream or stop this from happening. 

He fell down, unharmed, beside a large pool glittering with starlight. Gavin got a deep urge and acted upon it; he dipped his hands into the pool and pulled out a glowing orb. Inside it was a looped image and audio of Nines saying 'I love you' for the first time.

Shocked, Gavin dropped the orb, and it barely made a splash as it sunk beneath the surface. The starlit pool broke off into separate streams and rivers all around. Some had only a small water flow, and some were completely drained of water. Some streams had gentle trickling whilst others had angry, storming water. Some were pitch black whilst some were lit with stars.

Gavin couldn't believe what he was seeing. Multiple lines of destiny, right before his eyes. 

This can't be real.

Gavin was overwhelmed. His head dipped and he was now staring at the stone ground. Suddenly, the water crested a wave and fueled around Gavin. He gasped as he was suddenly hauled towards and into the water. Gavin began to thrash about as the dark water swirled around him, pushing him towards a stream he couldn't identify. He was dragged further under and his vision faded. Echoing throughout his mind sounded distant and distorted screams of Nines, Connor, and Hank.

Gavin woke with a gasp. He sat up and he began to heave and gasp, as if he was trying to cough water out of his lungs. Connor, who had been on charge with a proper charger Human Jericho supplied, instantly woke up and went over to Gavin. He sat on the bed beside him.

"Gavin, are you alright?" Connor asked with concern.

Gavin didn't give Connor an answer. He didn't know. He slung his arms around Connor and began to hug him tightly. Connor hugged back, holding him close to his body.

"Nightmares suck ass, Con," Gavin croaked.

"Was it about Nines and… What he did?"

Gavin shook his head. "Surprisingly not. I wanna fuckin lowkey die, not gonna lie."

"Please don't die," Connor said. "I enjoy your company."

"Cool, thanks." Gavin broke the hug and lay back down, getting comfortable under the covers. "Bye."

"Goodnight, Gavin."

Gavin closed his eyes and before long, he was slipping into another sleep. He felt Connor get off the bed just as he was almost unconscious. Not caring enough to do anything, Gavin fell asleep.

Gavin woke up with a start. His vision was blurred as he slowly opened his eyes. He blinked confusedly at the strange ceiling.

Where the fuck am I? Oh wait, never mind. I remember, he thought.

"Fucking life," Gavin grumbled to himself. "It really be out here sucking." He cleared his throat before running fingers gently along it. His bruising was still extreme and he was in a lot of pain, but at least Gavin could speak and he didn't show any signs of life-threatening internal damage.

Connor was charging in the corner of the room, seeming as if he was asleep. Of course, androids don’t truly sleep, but they can definitely appear to be able to. It was one of the many, many human activities they can freakishly mirror. Gavin walked over to Connor and poked him a few times until he opened his eyes.

“Hello, Gavin,” Connor greeted him.

“Hey. I’m just letting you know that I’m gonna go get Hank and get a formal introduction to Human Jericho.”

“Okay,” Connor said. He stepped off of the charging platform. “I’ll join you.”

Eyeing the charger port, Gavin said thoughtfully, “I wonder how they get their electricity here.”  
“You’ll be able to ask when we meet everyone,” Connor replied.

“You’re right,” Gavin said. “Let’s get going, then.”

He led the way out of the room, going to the bedroom shared by Hank and Nines. Not bothering to knock on the door, Gavin barged into the room. It looked more modernised than the one that Gavin had gone into. 

Hank, who was sitting on his bed reading a book, looked up at Gavin. He looked annoyed. “Gavin’s here,” he announced flatly.

“You seem pleased to see me,” Gavin sarcastically said.

“Don’t patronise yourself,” Hank replied, unimpressed.

A door in the room that Gavin only just noticed opened and Nines stepped out of it. Gavin saw a glimpse of the smaller room beyond. He saw a pristine white tiled bathroom and a bathtub.

“You get an ensuite!?” Gavin gasped. “That’s no fair!”

“If you weren’t so quick to push Nines away, you would have this,” Hank pointed out.

“Shut the fuck up,” Gavin said.

“Hello, Gavin,” Nines said.

Gavin completely ignored him. “So Hank, Connor and I are going to see the people of Human Jericho. Come with us. I obviously don’t know anyone here and I’d feel better if you came with me, since you do actually know them.”

“Only if Nines come too,” Connor interjected, causing a dismayed look from Gavin. Connor went on, “He needs to meet all of the humans that live here as well.” He looked at Gavin meaningfully.

Gavin realised he’d have to face Nines sooner or later. Now was not that time.

“Bye sluts,” Gavin said, doing a full 180 turn with a plan to go back to his new room to sulk. A hand landed on his shoulder. Gavin turned around again, ripping his shoulder away, and he saw Hank in front of him and glaring at him. “Hey!”

“Pull yourself together, dickhead,” Hank said. He didn’t have any patience let for Gavin anymore. “Whether you like it or not, Nines is a part of our group. He’s your boyfriend, for fuck’s sake! Obviously he would not hurt you on purpose!”

“He choked me!”

“And you didn’t give him the chance to explain yourself!” Hank retorted angrily. “You could have tried, but no! Look outside yourself!”

Gavin knew that Hank was right. He hated that. Hank’s words stung Gavin’s pride, which made him really want to return to his room and sulk. Gavin watched Nines cast a grateful glance at Hank, who was seething with rage.

“... Let’s just get this whole meeting people thing over with,” Gavin grumbled.

Nines’ eyes rounded. “But-”

“Leave it,” Hank said, cutting him off. “Obviously, Gavin doesn’t value enough to care about what you have to say.

Gavin grit his teeth. He was starting to get angry too. “Let's go.”

Connor nodded, seeming to be relieved at an opportunity to escape the conflict. Hank pushed past Gavin and Connor and silently led them down the hall and down the staircase. Hank walked through the room beside the door, and entered another room.

It was huge. The ceilings reached about eight metres tall, with chandeliers hanging from the top. The room was alive with activity - people were talking, playing games, and eating, along with other activities. Gavin’s jaw dropped as he looked at the place. 

“This is the main hall,” Hank said. “Meetings and most of the activies throughout the day happen here. Eat, read, game - you can do whatever you desire. There’s also a library and a cinema, I think.”

“That… That’s amazing,” Gavin said with astonishment. “How do you get power?”

“Electricians use natural sources,” a new voice said. Gavin looked over to see that same woman from the previous day that had asked Gavin for his type. “They, along with a few others, have lived here since the very start of our organisation. We couldn’t leave this place completely unattended. Some of them and some of those in the old location posed as androids to smuggle in resources from the main society, with the help of actual androids.”

“You didn’t tell me this much about Human Jericho,” Gavin said.

The woman turned to Hank, looking done. “Do you really use that silly nickname as the title of this place?”

Hank blushed from embarrasment. “Er. Yeah.”

She rolled her eyes. “We are actually called Verum. It’s Latin for real, and also the best sounding title I could find on Google Translate.”

“Mood,” Gavin said.

“Anywho, I’m Lillian, but you can call me Lily. What’s your name?”

“His name is Gavin,” Hank answered for him. “The RK900 is named Nines, and the RK800-”

“- Is Connor, I know. He’s the notorious deviant hunter that turned out to be deviant himself,” Lillian said.

“Something along those lines,” Connor mumbled.

“By the way, Gavin, when I asked what your type was, I didn’t mean romantically,” she said. “I was just asked about what background you had come from - like, living in an abandoned house until one of us found you.”

“I was an android slave.”

“Oh dear,” Lillian frowned. “We have a couple of people who were slaves. They’re the ones who are among the most damaged of us. What type of slave?”

“I did their chores and shit,” Gavin said. “I wasn’t really fed much which sucked. I barely got water and I barely got to sleep.”

“Much physical harm?”

“Yes, but not too much.”

Lillian nodded. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. You might see Thomas if he’s out of his room today, he was a slave too, but try not to talk about it. His work was more… physical.” She shuddered.

“I don’t want to think about what that means,” Gavin said.

“Go mingle,” Lillian encouraged. She turned to the androids accompanying him. “Tell me about how you came about helping Gavin.”

As Connor delved into an in-depth explanation, Gavin began to walk around the seas of people alone. The room was somewhat crowded, but not uncomfortably so. Some people looked at the newcomer curiously as he explored the room. Gavin ended up in a corner with a television and some gaming consoles. It was surrounded by three couches with a fluffy rug in front of them, with a few neatly scattered beanbags on top. The couches all had people sitting on them, and so did two of the beanbags. Gavin took a seat on the beanbag in the very centre of the rug. As soon as he sat, as if on silent cue, the people all turned towards him and t-posed. 

Gavin felt freaked out. He shot back up to his feet, and he looked panicked. The people stopped.

“Sorry,” a guy with brown hair sitting on the beanbag beside Gavin said. “It is a tradition to t-pose at whoever sits on the middle beanbag.”

“Please don’t,” Gavin said. “T-poses are cool, but now isn’t the time for that.

“Alright. I’m Mike, by the way.”

“I’m Gavin.”

“Are you gay?” Mike asked.

Gavin stared at him with wide eyes and a red face. How the hell did he know!? “W-What?”

“Are you?”

“... Yeah. How the fuck did you know?” Gavin asked, bewildered.

“Mike has a freakishly good gaydar,” a woman sitting on one of the couches said. “Gaydar, trans scan, bi spy… You name it, he knows. He knew I was asexual with just one look at me. I’m Mary, by the way.”

“Okay… Bye.” Gavin felt unsettled by that whole interaction, so he stood up and left. He didn’t want to deal with psychics at that moment.

“Gavin, wait.”

Gavin turned around to face a guy who was sitting on the couch. 

“My name is Mason,” he said once he had Gavin’s attention. “Mike said you’re gay? Well, I’m gay too. I think you’re handsome.”

Mason took Gavin’s hand in his own. Gavin felt himself blush deeply as he stared with wide eyes. Mason was hot as fuck - he was shockingly handsome,he had hazel eyes and curly brown hair. 

Gavin tried to speak, but he couldn’t spit out anything and could only manage spluttering gibberish. He was overwhelmed with what could only be labelled as gay panic. As soon as Gavin got a grip on himself, he disconnected his hand from Mason’s.

“Thanks, you’re sexy as fuck,” Gavin said with no thought. “But uh… I have a boyfriend. Kinda. I dunno. He tried to kill me the other day so I’m trying to weigh out my options.”

“He what!?”

“Yeah. Well, bye.” Gavin walked away from Mason and went to other people. He met new people which he had more normal conversations with - as in, Gavin chose not to share the fact that he was choked by Nines and the trauma that came with that. When people asked about the bruising on Gavin’s neck, he wouldn’t answer.

At around midday, Gavin went to the dining hall where there were tons of people getting food and eating. Gavin got some pasta and he slipped out of the room. That place lowkey gave him highschool vibes. Gavin returned to his room and sat on the bed where he ate his pasta. Just as he was thinking about jealousy towards Nines and Hank’s new room, the door opened and Nines walked inside.

“Gavin, don’t kick me out. We need to talk about what happened.”


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

“If I can’t kick you out, I’ll kick your stupid face in.”

Gavin was not in the mood for Nines’ explanation bullshit. No amount of explaining could fix or help whatever the hell happened back at the hotel, and how suspicious Nines was. The uncanny timing, followed by the attack - then Gavin remembered how there was a remote with a button that had caused Nines to become a mindless killing machine. Did they end up grabbing that? Oh well, doesn’t matter. 

“You cannot keep ignoring me, and please don’t threaten me. You have to listen to me some time,” Nines said.

“Do I?”

“If you actually loved me, then you would have listened by now!” Nines yelled.

Gavin fell silent as the emotional words echoed throughout the room. It dawned on him how unfair to Nines he had been, and that maybe he should listen to what he has to say. It certainly showed a lack of love and trust that Gavin wouldn’t listen to whatever explanation had.

But Gavin was stubborn. “Fuck off, robot.”

The cold, snarky tone behind the words seemed to have pierced Nines. He suddenly looked completely and utterly done with Gavin’s bullshit. With persistence, he insisted with clear impatience, “Gavin, listen to what I have to say.”

Another prolonged silence fell throughout the room. Gavin broke the crushing silence and thick tension by saying, “Fine then.” He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow expectantly. “Go ahead. Baffle me with your explanation.”

“Thank you. I’m glad that you finally decided to agree.” Nines took a deep breath, as if preparing himself mentally to speak, and he looked seriously into Gavin’s expectant eyes. “The second time that I snuck back to the building you were kept in, my superiors had suspected that I was up to something - and swiftly figured it out that I was associated with the disappearance of yourself and Connor,” Nines began, delving directly into an explanation. “Instead of going through normal punishment protocols by killing me and hunting down and killing yourself and Connor, they decided to do an experiment. An experiment they had not yet the opportunity to do, until this incident happened.”

Oh damn. Out of everything that could have happened, Gavin never speculated that Nines - someone with such a high social status - could be the subject in an experiment. “Go on.”

“They took me to a lab and deceived me into thinking I was just to take care of android experiments, like the ones found in the tunnels.” The memories of the experiments made Gavin shudder as Nines continued to speak. “I was led to an area where they connected me to some wiring, flipped a switch, and I could feel. Not emotionally - I can already do that, but I could completely physically feel - and by that, I mean I was injected with synthetic agony. I couldn’t escape. I was laughed at as I writhed and screamed my anguish. Then, the wiring filled me with rage. They disconnected me and the anger remained. I didn’t feel like myself.”

“That’s why you got more aggressive randomly,” Gavin breathed out. He imagined Nines being attached to some crazy-scientist-esque machine, writhing and kicking as he was flooded with a new yet horrible sensation. As a human, he had no idea what it would be like experiencing pain for the first time ever - especially not excruciating pain.“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m getting to that. I had to return to continue deceiving the majority of the android population, and on top of that, my superiors threatened to kill you and Connor if I told or even hinted what was happening to either of you - and Hank, once they found out about him. All of my rage was never me, and no matter how much I wanted to tell you that, I just couldn’t. Every time I returned, they worked on my wiring and my code more, changing it slowly to meet their twisted goals. I would be told when to return because they had something new to work on me with, and I could only resist for so long. I always knew our android government had corruptions, but I never realised how severe it truly is. Our leader is someone who has changed, someone who wasn't like this when this whole thing began. And then when this android turned towards a path of tyranny, they were supported by androids seeking revenge upon the human race."

The name of the revolution leader was at the tip of Gavin's tongue, but he didn't quite remember. He did know that the deviant leader was somehow associated with Elijah Kamski, maybe Connor had casually mentioned something one day. Gavin couldn't recall. Either way, simply remembering the name Elijah Kamski made his stomach churn.

"So the leader of the androids is fucked up. We been knew. Continue."

"Precisely. The androids conducting the experiment quickly switched to mind controlling me, which they succeeded - they created a special device that, if a button was pressed, my primary objective would be activated in my code - kill Gavin and then anyone associated with him.”

"So, if Hank and Connor and Aspen weren't able to do whatever they did to stop the mind or code control or whatever, you…"

"Would've killed them all after getting rid of you," Nines confirmed.

Gavin bowed his head guiltily as he absorbed the entirety of this information. It was hard to take in. This whole time Nines was suffering, and Gavin was so deep within himself that he didn’t even bother to take a look at Nines and recognise the true suffering he was experiencing.. "Nines, I… I'm so sorry. I should've talked to you sooner, I should've supported you through this time of sorrow and regret."

"I am fully aware that you're damaged and a snappy person, Gavin," Nines reassured gently. "This added trauma and distrust is completely okay after what I had done to you, even if I didn't mean it. I just hope you find it within your beating human heart to forgive me."

"Forgive you? Oh Nines, I'm the one who should be apologizing!" After speaking, Gavin ran forward to his boyfriend and pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you sooner. I love you so much."

Nines' arms went around Gavin, pulling him closer to his body as they began to embrace sweetly. Gavin's head fell on Nines' chest.

"I love you too," Nines said. “Deciding to have a romantic relationship may have gone much worse, depending on the circumstances, but… It hurt so much. Sometimes I wonder if I should have denied my attraction to you at all, and left you where this all began - that building. You would’ve been safer and less prone to getting what could potentially be fatal injuries there.”

Gavin felt Nines’ head nuzzling into his hair. It ached to imagine a life without Nines by his side, a life he would spend the remainder of suffering a fate that no one had ever deserved.

“Don’t say that,” Gavin said softly. “You freed me from a horrible life. I’d rather be here, as free as we can manage to be, than wondering day by day what I will have to do and what my fate will be. It was such a tedious stream of endless days, yet so frightening as I didn’t know what could really happen.”

“But it’s the same here, is it not?” Nines pointed out. “In a place such as this, things could turn out to be tragic - again. You are fully aware of what happened to the last location of Hu- Verum. Life in general is a constant plunge into the unknown. If we had just remained in that building, keeping our emotional distance, things may have been better.”

“Do you regret us ever being a thing? Because I feel like that’s kind of what you’re hinting at here.”

“Gavin, I-”

“You were treated so royalty, so you have no idea what the mental strain was like. I was deprived of the things I, as a human, needed to live. But yeah, things were safe there for me, weren’t they?” Gavin spat, his sarcastic words laced with venom. He forcefully broke the hug, and took a defensive step backwards. “I don’t get you, Nines. You regret what we have but you don’t want to hurt me.”

“I could say the same things about you,” Nines retorted.

“Oh yeah, definitely! All I’ve tried to do is love you.”

“And that showed so well when you shut me out and wouldn’t let me tell you the reasonings for something I did that was not my fault.”

“I was fucking traumatised Nines, it’s not that simple!”

Nines’ irritated face quickly turned into one of remorse and sorrow. He sat on Gavin’s bed, seeming to defeatedly deflate. Gavin watched with a cocked eyebrow.

“Gavin, what are we doing?” He asked quietly. “We aren’t meant to be fighting like this.”

Gavin’s countenance fell too. He took a seat on his bed, right next to Nines, and he leaned against him. Gavin rested his head on Nines’ shoulder, and he felt Nines’ head rest on his. Gavin reached over and grabbed Nines’ hand, interlacing their fingers.

“Nines, I’m sorry,” Gavin said. There wasn’t a drop of arrogance in his words - his worse were true and pure. Gavin felt genuine regret and sadness right down to his core. What was the use of these fights? Nines and Gavin had landed in paradise, it wasn’t fair on each other to create these seemingly endless and exceedingly hurtful battles.

“I forgive you. You have my deepest apologies, too,” Nines said.

“It’s okay.” Gavin couldn’t fight back a small smile. “We speak so differently. You’re all proper and mature, while I speak like a teen sailor.”

Nines cracked a small grin of his own. “Gavin, at heart, you are nothing but a teenage sailor. It was your true calling, but alas, you are a person who pursued the path of a police detective instead. Such a pity, and such a disappointment to what you could’ve been.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Gavin said light-heartedly. “Anyways, here’s a concept: We go look at the sunset.”

"Concept agreed with and accepted. First, finish your pasta. You need food."

Gavin playfully rolled his eyes. He picked up his bowl of pasta and scarfed about two thirds of it down. After he finished, he burped and then said, "I'm full."

"You certainly seemed to enjoy that pasta," Nines commented with amusement.

"It was amazing and I wish I could finish it. Now let's go! Carry me."

"That was what I was planning to do," Nines said. "But I suggest you bring that pasta downstairs with you. We can make a stop in the kitchen."

"Okay dad," Gavin sarcastically said. He picked up the bowl of pasta, carefully cradling it like a child. Nines picked Gavin up, supporting him by putting one hand on his ass and one hand on his back.

"Okay, I have two comments here," Gavin said. "One, it's hard to carry the pasta like this. Two, haha you're touching my ass that's gay."

"Gavin," Nines started with a deadpan expression, "We are males who are in a relationship, and who love each other. We have literally had intercourse."

"Yeah, that makes it gay. This is just another gay thing."

Nines opened his mouth before shutting it said. Then he said, "You do have a point and you are certainly not incorrect."

"Cool. Now let's go," Gavin said. As Nines left the room and made his way towards the stairs, Gavin was cautiously balancing the pasta as best as he could manage. They made it to the kitchen where Gavin returned the leftovers, and he had a drink then went to the bathroom. Then, Gavin and Nines headed outside, and Gavin and Nines sat on the grass. The sun was setting. The ball of fiery gas was slipping slowly past the treeline, illuminating the sky a mix of oranges, yellows, pinks, blues and purples. Like usual, it was gorgeous. Gavin wished he looked at the natural beauty more often.

"The sunset is so beautiful," Gavin said. He learned against Nines and stared up at the sky.

"Not as beautiful as you are," Nines said endearingly.

"Aw. That's so cliché and gay. Clichgay."

"An excellent word," Nines said. He said in a very robotic tone, "New word added to vocabulary: Clichgay, a term coined by Gavin Reed. A colloquial adjective and a combination of the words cliché and gay. Definition: A cliché, most likely romantic, said in a homosexual manner, relationship or implication." Nines suddenly looked embarrassed. "Oops. I was not meant to say that aloud."

Gavin started laughing. "Do you do that in your head every time I come up with random shit?"

"Yes," Nines said. "But it happens so naturally I barely notice as I register them. I am not sure what happened there."

Gavin laughed more, but he eventually reduced his laughter and turned to a more serious matter. "Nines. I forgot to ask you before, is your tracker something the superiors or whoever can access?"

His eyes went dark. "They used to," Nines said carefully, "But I damaged my tracker beyond repair after the hotel incident. I just pray they cannot figure out the location of Verum."

Gavin nodded, and his mind raced back to the fight he had with Nines. Despite how recent it was, the argument was a thing of the past. But then Nines’ words rang in his head, even if they were related to a joking matter.

Such a disappointment to what you could’ve been.

Gavin remembered the weird dream nightmare thing that he had had. Had the argument and resolution hindered or influenced any of those paths of rushing water? Any decision, whether big or small, would change the course of where the water was flowing, wouldn’t it?

What if I’m going towards one of the stormy paths, one that is inevitably clouded with nothing but darkness? Have I been making the right choices? Gavin thought, his anxiety spiking.

“It’s not real,” Gavin told himself aloud. This gained him a look of concern from Nines.

“What’s not real? Are you okay?” he asked.

“It’s nothing,” Gavin said dismissively. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Nines held a gentle gaze with Gavin for a few moments, and Gavin felt himself faltering. Those icy blue eyes always managed to pierce into Gavin’s soul, and he felt like he was being swept off his feet whenever he saw them. Those same blue eyes, that same face, those safe arms that Gavin could nearly call home.

Home is with you.

A sense of clarity washed over Gavin. Wherever Nines was, that's where Gavin felt safest. His home was with Nines. But the clarity soon twisted and his thoughts travelled down a sour path.

"Nines, do you think Verum can exist here in safety forever?" Gavin asked.

"I… No. Sooner or later, this location will be discovered. It's inevitable, and the community will certainly have to evacuate much sooner than they had to when underground."

"Ah… So this place isn't really safe, either."

"It is," Nines corrected, suddenly seeming wiser, "For now. You have access to everything you need, but try not to be fooled by the serenity this place seems to have. The sky may be clear now, but clouds are gathering, and I know that sooner or later a storm will be upon us."

"Then why did we come here?" Gavin asked quietly.

"Because for now, this is the best place to be. But I know my former superiors, and they will do whatever it takes to bring this place down."

"So they definitely know Verum exists."

"Yes, because of the experiments - because of me. But they know it as Human Jericho, which may throw off their path a little longer. I suggest making the best of this luxury you are currently exposed to, until this crumbles too," Nines said. He then added, "I didn't want to drain you of your optimism, which is why I never mentioned this to you."

Gavin nodded. "So everything is a lie but I should take advantage of having everything easy while it lasts. Cool."

"Don't mention it to Connor or Hank. I don't want them to think all of these efforts were for nothing," Nines said.

"I won't, but I think you should. Either way…" Gavin turned to face Nines, and he took Nines' hand in his own. He held a soft, loving eye contact.

"The skies are dark and hope is low, but I know I can do anything by your side."

Nines responded with a gentle smile. He leaned in and kissed Gavin sweetly, with Gavin being swift to return the passionate kiss. They trapped themselves and each other in their embrace and overwhelming love beneath the darkened skies.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Gavin woke up the next morning buried deep in Nines' arms. He was being held close to Nines' chest, and the android appeared to be 'sleeping'. Gavin remembered their talks last night, then the activities that had taken place once they returned to Gavin's - now their own combined - bedroom. Gavin felt a smirk rise onto his face, but it faded as he began to shake Nines. 

Nines opened his eyes. He had bad bed-hair which was messily falling over his face and sticking out everywhere. "What?" He asked with a grumpy edge to tone. Nines seemed so human.

Gavin snickered at his boyfriend's appearance. "Your hair is dead. Anywho, I need painkillers."

Nines nodded and he sat up. "Let me check your wounds," he said. 

Gavin had his wounds from the tunnel attack, and bruising on his neck. He still had some healing to do, but his cuts and bites were healing quite quickly and cleanly. Nines did a basic scan of Gavin's body, searching for anything that would need attention. With his android abilities, Nines needed to simply focus on Gavin to scan him - which gave Gavin the creeps.

"Everything is fine," Nines said. "Let me grab you those painkillers." He pecked Gavin's lips sweetly before standing up and going to Gavin's bag. Gavin watched as Nines took out a packet of painkillers.

“Nines. Grab my diary,” Gavin said.

“Your diary?” Nines echoed curiously.

“Yeah, don’t judge me.”

“I didn’t take you for someone who’d have a diary.”

“Shut your up fuck,” Gavin said. “The backpack has like… a hidden half-pocket thing in the back pocket. In there is my diary.”

Nines nodded and seconds later, he was pulling out Gavin’s diary. He brought him the painkillers and the diary, along with a plastic bottle which was half filled with water. Gavin popped two painkillers in his mouth and gulped them down with the water, which he managed to spill all over himself.

“Amazing,” Nines commented, amusement shining in his eyes. “I just mentally crafted a joke that would only work if you were a female.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “You’re a whole fuckwit. Love ya, though.”

“You are a very confusing human, Gavin,” Nines said. “Have I ever told you that?”

“I dunno. Probably,” Gavin shrugged. “You’ve told me many things.” He gently pried his diary out of Nines’ hands and opened to the bookmarked page. He took the pen that was clipped to the cover and began to write a new entry that was multiple pages long. Gavin described the recent events of his life, and how it all made him feel. At this point, Gavin would be very surprised if he didn't have PTSD due to all he had been through.

The whole time, Nines was staring at Gavin with his eyes softened and full of love. He didn't once ask Gavin what he was writing about, or if he could see the diary. Nines just adored him in silence as the sun gently illuminated his face. As soon as Gavin looked up to see Nines staring, he felt himself blush.

"Why are you looking at me like that, am I that ugly?" Gavin joked.

"On the contrary. I'm just admiring your unending beauty," Nines said sincerely. His face then turned serious. "Never call yourself ugly, Gavin."

"Damn, okay dad," Gavin said sarcastically. Nines then smirked, which concerned Gavin."What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're missing two letters at the end of that last word."

"What? I- oh. Oh. Nines oh my good what the fuck!?" Gavin exclaimed, his voice becoming high and squeaky.

Nines burst out laughing. He saw Gavin's blushing face and laughed harder, which made Gavin want to make a hole in the floor and perish. Just as Gavin's embarrassment was dying down, he heard commotion in the hallway. 

"I suggest we go and see what is happening," Nines said.

"Yep."

Gavin bookmarked and closed his diary before slowly getting up to his feet, and grunting with pain. The painkillers were yet to kick in. Nines stood beside Gavin and slung an arm over his shoulder, and Gavin did the same with Nines so they had their one of their arms draped over the other. With the help of Nines, Gavin promptly limped out of their bedroom and into the hallway. A girl, no older than twenty, was knocking urgently on Hank's door. After some time passed, a grumpy Hank stuck his head out.

"What?" Hank asked grumpily.

"Eloise is back."

Hank's eyes widened and he seemed to be lagging the processing of those three simple words, but then his face flooded with excitement and relief. "Where!?"

"In the lab, in the basement," the teenager said. Gavin noticed her bright pink hair, and wondered where she could've gotten dye from. As Hank started moving forward, she put a hand out to stop him. "Wait, Hank. There's something you need-"

"Not now, Allison!" Hank interrupted before barging past her.

Gavin looked at the girl that Hank had labelled Allison. She looked unsurprised yet irritated with Hank's antics. Gavin limped a few steps towards her, and as he did, he felt the painkillers hit due to a distinct numbing sensation. Gavin disconnected from Nines and stood up straight.

"That absolute dumbass lacks so many brain cells," Allison said flatly.

"Yeah, he does," Gavin agreed. "What did you need to tell him?"

"That Eloise is damaged hella bad, which is why she's in the lab in the first place," Allison answered. 

"What's Hank's relationship with her?"

"They're very close friends, but that's all strictly platonic." She shrugged, then looked at Gavin with a knowing look in her eyes. "Who knows, maybe he's like you in some way."

"What a suggestion," Nines said as Allison turned and walked away.

"I feel like she was hinting that Hank may be a part of the not straight gang," Gavin said. 

"Perhaps. I do not recall him ever discussing sexuality apart from referring to us."

"Anyway, we should go and check on him," Gavin said. "Considering Hank's bond with Eloise - as far as we can tell anyway - he's going to be crushed when he hears the news."

"What's this?" Connor's voice chimed into the conversation, which startled Gavin, but he didn't show it.

"Just- follow us," Gavin said. He gripped Nines' hand tightly and quickly walked towards and then down the staircase. He stopped as soon as he saw someone.

"James, where's the basement?" Gavin asked, remembering meeting him one time.

"Go straight until you reach a hallway, go to the end of the hallway, and then go down the stairs at the end," James replied.

Gavin nodded and quickly thanked him before walking towards the hallway. 

"This mansion has such a weird ass layout," Gavin commented as he beelined towards their destination.

"It is indeed strange, but it is also humongous," Nines said. "The architect likely wanted to make most of what land they had planned to build on. Maybe they were disappointed they couldn't use more of the forest." 

"It's a good refuge and that's what matters," Connor said.

Gavin didn't reply. They made it to the hallway, and he sped up as they walked down it. It was dimly lit with flickering lights, and along with the grey walls, the passage reminded Gavin too much of the tunnels. Gavin, fearful from those dreaded memories, held Nines' hand tighter. Nines gave Gavin's hand a reassuring squeeze, but Gavin could easily pick up his unease as well.

"I don't like this hallway," Connor said, speaking the thoughts that were running through all of their minds.

"Neither. It's too much like those tunnels," Gavin agreed.

"We are no longer in the tunnels, we are safe and well," Nines said. "Although, I share the same feelings, and I dislike the design here."

At the end of the hallway, there was a staircase, as promised. The trio walked down the staircase and went through the entrance. They were now in a large room with lots of different technology and hospital beds, along with curtains and long strips of cardboard around some.

"This seems more like a makeshift hospital than a lab," Gavin said. "Maybe it serves as both."

At the other end of the room, Hank was yelling at someone, and they were both standing next to one of the hospital beds that was surrounded with some weird tech Gavin couldn't recognise. On the bed Gavin saw someone , and watching the android was another person. As he looked around the room more, Gavin saw android parts and bodies in glass cabinets and on racks, along with thirium and medical products. 

"How many androids do they have here?" Gavin asked with a frown.

"I'm not sure," Nines replied. Gavin looked at him, and Nines seemed equally confused. "In fact, we don't know how many humans there are - or were they sleep. Very easily fifty."

"Of course there's at least fifty," Gavin said. "Easily over a hundred, babe."

"We can ask later," Connor said. 

The group stopped next to Hank and a woman wearing a white lab coat, which complimented her tanned complexion.

"What the hell do you mean, you can't fix her!?" Hank yelled.

"Hank, I didn't say that. I said there's a large chance she can't be completely restored to how she was. It's not my fault."

"Well you should know how to fix her, being an android doctor or whatever!"

"What's happening?" Gavin asked the bystander watching Hank and the doctor yell back and forth.. She looked relieved to have a distraction from the argument, and turned to Gavin.

"Jasmine can't completely repair Eloise, and Hank is pissed."

"I see that. Where was Eloise?" Gavin asked.

"I found her on my way back from shopping. She was in an alleyway, and I only found her because I wanted to try out a new shortcut. I had to carry her all the way back here, and I was stopped a few times by people asking about her. I was scared of being found out as being human."

"But you're here and fine now," Gavin said. "You said you found her basically by chance. So she was missing and no one went looking for her?"

She nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

"I see…" Gavin's face pulled into a thoughtful one, which earned a curious look from Nines.

"I've never seen you so intensely concentrated," Nines said with a raised eyebrow. "What are you thinking about, Gavin?"

"Oh, nothing. You'll find out," Gavin said.

"Then it must be more than nothing if I'm going to discover what it is," Nines said.

"He has a point," Connor said.

"Shut up and let me be mysterious."

"Okay, whatever you wish, baby," Nines smiled.

Gavin blushed. "Die."

"I would suggest that you read the room," Nines said.

"... Right." Gavin walked right up to Hank and stood in front of him. "You done yelling at the person who should be working on Eloise but is instead dealing with your dumb ass?"

As Hank suddenly looked embarrassed, the doctor thanked Gavin.

"No problem," Gavin replied. "What's your name?"

"Amy Diaz. Who are you?"

"Gavin Reed. This is Nines, and this is Connor," he said, beckoning to each android in turn. "I don't wanna tell you how to do your job, doc, but you should probably think about treating your patient now."

"You're right. I'm the only one in this whole building with enough knowledge and training to get back to working order," Amy said. "I suggest that you and your friends leave."

"Damn okay, bye," Gavin said. "Come on, let's go. That includes you, Hank. You can come back later to check on Eloise."

Hank sighed. "You're right. Okay, let's go."

The group of now four exited the lab, keeping to the left as a few people went down into the lab, undoubtedly to see Eloise's condition. Going down the hallway, Gavin held Nines' hand tightly again. As soon as they got to the end, Gavin disconnected their hands.

"Hey, I'll be back," Gavin said.

"Where are you going?" Connor said.

"I have something to do. I won't be long."

"Alright," Nines said, kissing Gavin on the forehead. "I will be seeing you soon, my love."

Gavin nodded and walked away from them, looking around for a certain person in particular. Gavin locked eyes with his target, Lillian, and immediately approached her. As soon as Gavin reached her, she ended conversation with a random person she was talking with, and turned her attention towards Gavin.

"Hi, can we talk somewhere private?" Gavin asked.

"Sure. Follow me," Lillian said. Gavin nodded curtly and followed her as she made her way up a different flight of stairs to the one he used to get to his bedroom. Lillian entered the first room, and Gavin followed her. It seemed to be a hybrid of a bedroom and an office.

Lillian turned to Gavin. "Now, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"You know how Eloise is back?"

"Of course, I was one of the first informed."

"And so you know her critical condition."

"It was a miracle that she was found."

"Right, a miracle," Gavin said. "But what if she wasn't found?"

"But she was."

"Perhaps she was. But there was a huge chance that she wasn't found, and she would have been left to suffer and die. How many of your people are missing?"

Lillian diverted her gaze as her eyes clouded with sadness. "A few."

Gavin knew he had stirred up some painful feelings, but he had to continue. "Well, it shouldn't be like that. Sometimes humans and androids go and sneak out into the society, don't they?"

"They do… Gavin, what are you getting at?" Lillian asked sternly, looking directly at Gavin again.

"Well, what if we sent a group out to find the missing members, and also try to recruit new members, all the while looking for resources?"

"Gavin, we have too many mouths to feed as it is-"

"And? There could be actual humans and even androids out there, suffering, that need our help! We can get more people recruited, swell our ranks! Someone we help can have valuable information or access to something we need. What if we end up with an ally of someone who, I don't know, works at a convenience store? Is a doctor? Is an engineer? Lillian, we need to do this, we need more people. And the people we send can find more food as well."

"Well, what about the bedrooms? They're almost full."

"How many people do we have right now?"

"One hundred and eight."

"And how many bedrooms?"

"Sixty-five."

Gavin's jaw gaped. "Sixty-five!? I didn't even know there were that many! That's enough for everyone to share a bedroom with someone else, like myself and Nines and Connor and Hank. Plus, if you're worried that lack of beds is an issue, maybe the night guards can just share a bed with someone who sleeps during the night. Lillian, can't you see that this is the right choice? We can bring back new people! We can be stronger!"

"There is a huge danger doing this," Lillian said. "The wrong person can be asked to join. One misstep and our whole sanctuary could be lost - again."

"That's fine. Maybe we can send androids that can check potential humans, and people can search for signs that a stranger is actually human. We just have to be cautious. I promise this is for the greater good."

"I suppose," Lillian said, still looking hesitant. "Wait for a moment, let me think about it."

Gavin waited silently as she contemplated. Quickly enough, Lillian announced her conclusion.

"Okay, I'm willing to give this a shot. It's a good idea and you're right that we do need more people with us. Not only that, but we are a safe space for any human or androids who are disadvantaged or have a distaste for this new society. We can have new allies, more resources, and maybe we can learn more about the new world around us."

"Yes, yes! Exactly. Thank you, Lillian," Gavin said.

"Of course," Lillian replied. "But we still have to get the opinions of everyone else in Verum. Right now I'm the person who takes authority, but I was never really suited to lead. I just try to keep things in order. We don't have anyone truly suited for leadership, and we've been waiting for someone who is." She looked at Gavin, but she didn't say anything more about the matter. "I'll call a meeting tonight in the main hall. Be there. Seven pm sharp."

"Okay, I will be. Bye."

"Bye, Gavin."

Gavin turned and left Lillian's room. They don't actually have a leader. Huh. Sucks for them.

With some trouble, Gavin made it back to his bedroom, stopping for some small talk he didn't want to take part in along the way. He opened the door and closed it behind him as soon as he stepped inside. Nines was sitting on their bed and reading a book. The sight caught Gavin off guard.

"You can read?"

Nines looked up. "Yes? Is this new information to you?"

"No, what I meant was, I didn't know you read books."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Gavin felt embarrassed. "I dunno, I just… Never mind. There's going to be a meeting with everyone in the hall today at seven pm. By the way, Verum has one hundred and eight people in it."

Nines bookmarked and closed the book, setting it beside him. "Okay. We have no other plans."

"Obviously. I don't think we've ever had plans," Gavin said.

"I believe we have had multiple-"

"No, I meant like, couple plans-"

"We have made plans of survival as a cou-"

"I meant romantic - okay nevermind," Gavin said before changing the subject. "Where did you even get that book from anyway?"

"Downstairs. It was on one of the bookshelves."

"Cool. Not saying I like books or anything, but what's it called?" Gavin asked. "Is it gay?"

"Call Me By Your Name, and yes, it is a homosexual book. I think that you would like it."

"Cool, thanks," Gavin replied. "Gay shit is the only fiction that should exist ever."

"I understand where you are coming from, but I disagree. There should be complete equality with everything."

"True but also, gay," Gavin said.

Nines chuckled. "Such a compelling argument," he said sarcastically. 

"I hate you," Gavin said whilst walking over to Nines. He sat on his lap. "Die."

Nines put his arms around Gavin and tugged him close. Their torsos pressed up against each other, and Gavin put his legs around Nines' hips. 

"If I die, who will do this?" Nines asked before giving Gavin a deep, loving kiss that made the butterflies in his belly awaken. Gavin wished the butterflies would just act like everything else that he had digested - either completely still or projecting out of his mouth. Nines tightened his grip on Gavin, and Gavin cupped Nines' cheeks in his hands. 

After Gavin pulled away for air, he said, "Okay yeah, that was great. Please don't die."

"I'll try not to die, but I'm very sorry to say that I can't not die if someone else decides to kill me."

"That won't ever happen," Gavin reassured him. "I love you."

"I love you too."

At six fifty five, Gavin and Nines met up with Connor and Hank to go down to the main hall together. Gavin and Nines had just had a makeout session, so they both looked like flustered messes.

"Anyone know what the hell this is about?" Hank asked.

"Yep," Gavin answered.

"Well, are you going to tell us?"

"You'll see."

Hank rolled his eyes.

In the main hall, Lillian was standing next to a small stage that Gavin suspected was recently set up just for this. She spotted Gavin and beckoned him over.

"Bye sluts," Gavin said before detaching from his confused companions and wading through a sea of people before reaching Lillian. "Hey."

"Hi Gavin." She glanced at a clock. "It's time. Come up with me."

Lillian stepped up onto the stage, with Gavin stepping up after her. Lillian faced the crowd.

"Verum, hello."

She has good projection, she doesn't need a microphone. That's lucky, Gavin thought.

Lillian continued, "I'm sure most of you know Gavin Reed," she said, beckoning to him. "He has an idea that he'd like to propose to us."

Oh shit. Time to talk, I guess. Gavin took a step forward and cleared his throat. "I…" Nope, too quiet. He felt extremely anxious to be speaking his mind in front of all of these people, but as soon as he caught Nines' eye, he saw his boyfriend give an encouraging nod. Gavin took a deep breath and forced his anxiety back just enough. Speaking much louder, Gavin explained his idea of sending people out into society to find new human and possibly android recruits.

"So… what do you think?" He asked after he finished speaking.

Gavin's words were met with mixed opinions, with most of them being supportive. There was a lot of yelling, which overwhelmed him, and Gavin awkwardly did the whip and the nae nae while staring at all of these people.

"I'm going to take that as a yes!" Lillian said, her voice somehow going over the rest of the people, whose voices died down to murmurs. "Tomorrow we can start sending people out. If you're interested, be here after lunch. Now, I have one more thing to ask." She turned toward Gavin and asked him a question which made Gavin decide that Lillian is absolutely insane on many different levels. "How would you feel about a leadership role here at Verum?"

"What!?"


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

CW: Self-harm mention.  
3.5k ahead, have your popcorn ready!

Gavin was taken aback. No. There's no fucking way she just asked that shit of me. Is she fucking insane!? I give one idea she likes and she asks me to lead everything! Honestly, what the fuck was she thinking.

“Lillian, with all due respect, what in the actual fuck?” Gavin asked, his eyes widened as he stared at her with disbelief. “I am no leader! You didn’t even discuss this with me! I… What? What was the logic behind any of this?”

“You know we need a leader,” she replied.

Gavin slowly felt his face flush red due to embarrassment. He hated this whole situation. “You are clearly good enough! Just- ugh, I don’t need to deal with this. Lillian, Verum - please get your shit together. I didn’t risk my life escaping a place of horrors just to be launched into a leadership role of what’s barely a society. I didn’t need to be put on the spot like this in front of everyone!”

“We need someon-”

“Someone to lead, yeah, whatever. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll think about it. Now drop it.”

After he spoke, he got off the small stage and shouldered his way through the crowd. All eyes were on him. Gavin felt a smoldering rage rise in him, but he bit back any more words that would only ensure that he’s in deep shit. As he quickly walked by everyone, Nines stood in front of Gavin.

Nines opened his mouth to speak, and Gavin responded by taking his hand and continuing moving forward. The room was silent. This was so fucking embarrasing! He led Nines who was silently following Gavin to their bedroom. As soon as they were inside, Gavin locked the door behind them and groaned loudly as he slid down the door.

“Ugh, why did she have to ask me there in front of everyone!?” he asked with irritation. 

Nines sat down on the floor next to Gavin. Without looking at him, Nines entwined his fingers with Gavin’s and held his hand. “Perhaps she figured you would accept in that environment, or she was expecting people to react after the previous proposition.”

“Perhaps,” Gavin mumbled.

“Are you okay?” 

“Yeah. No. Maybe. Fuck, I don’t know!” Gavin pulled his hand away from Nines’ and put his head in his hands. “I just want a normal life. I am not anything or anyone special!”  
“You’re special to me,” Nines said. “But I understand what you’re saying. Gavin, things will become better. Your life will come by, and you can leave all your troubles in the past. This is one of many experiences that will impact you negatively, but you will be able to move past this.”

“This, yeah, this was just straight up embarrassing,” Gavin said. “I’ll probably think about it in eight years time when I’m laying in bed not able to get to sleep. If we’re suddenly talking about my other trauma, well, I don’t think I’ll be able to let go anytime soon.”

“As soon as we find a therapist, I am making you see them,” Nines said.

“What!? No!” Gavin protested. “I don’t need to see a shrink, I’ll be fine. I’ll just deal with it how I always have.”

“Which is…?”

“Just trying to ignore it until it gets so bottled up that I have a meltdown or a breakdown.”

“Gavin, that isn’t healthy,” Nines said with concern.

“Okay. Wanna be gay?”

Nines didn’t give a verbal response. Instead, he scooped Gavin up with no effort and carried him to their bed. Nines set him down and then lay down next to him. Gavin quickly moved closer to Nines, resting his head on his shoulder just above his armpit. Nines put his arms around Gavin’s back and pulled him closer.

“I love you, fuckhead,” Gavin said endearingly.

“I love you too, Gavin.”

“Cool.” Gavin closed his eyes and put his hand across Nines’ chest. He then titled his head upwards, starting to press little kisses against Nines’ neck. Nines craned his head to look down at Gavin inquisitively.

“What are you doing, baby?” Nines asked

“It’s okay. No horny involved.”

Nines raised an eyebrow.

“... Okay. Some horny involved.”

“It’s too early, sweetie,” Nines said. He gave Gavin a kiss on the forehead. “Besides, you are a hard bottom. You trying to make the advancements is just amusing.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Gavin said. He entangled his legs with Nines’ and buried his face in his chest. “Being gay with you is cool ‘cause you’re my boyfriend and shit.”

“Is there anyone you have uncool gay with?” Nines asked jokingly.

“Your mom.”

“Thanks.”

“I- what!?” Gavin raised his head and looked up at Nines. “You… Go die.”

Nines moved his hands so they were settled on Gavin’s hips. He held eye contact, his icy blue eyes melting with warmth, and ran his hands up and down Gavin’s sides. “I’d rather not.”

Gavin felt himself melting. “I-I…” he stammered uselessly. 

“You okay, sweetie?” Nines innocently asked.

Gavin groaned loudly, slamming his head into Nines’ chest. “You’re too hooot!” he complained, his voice only a little muffled. “Fuck you and your sexy!”

“You already fuck me ‘and my sexy’,” Nines said. 

Gavin looked up at him yet again. “I hate you.”

“Mhm. That is why we are cuddling. This is such a form of hatred,” Nines said with the tiniest hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Here’s a concept: we spend the rest of the day like this and forget that anyone else exists,” Gavin said. “How do you feel?”

“I agree with that concept. Let’s go ahead with it,” Nines accepted.”

“Cool.” Gavin closed his eyes and Nines pulled him closer. He felt one hand leave his back, and Gavin opened his eyes to see what was happening, and saw Nines pulling their blanket up over them. Gavin closed his eyes again, enjoying some silent time alone with Nines.

Later on during the day, once Gavin had had his dinner, he and Nines were playing Connect Four. Nines kept on winning, and every time, Gavin got a bit more annoyed which amused Nines. After Nines won the game six consecutive times, Gavin told him to piss himself and quit playing.

After reconciling, Gavin went to one of the bathrooms and took a shower, bringing Nines with him as he was waterproof. Nines helped Gavin wash his body, washing most of him except for a certain area. Once Gavin was clean, Nines carefully took his hand and looked at the scars on his arm with a saddened look on his face.

“None of them are recent, don’t worry,” Gavin said.

“I know,” Nines replied. “I just wanted to check.” He lifted Gavin’s arm and planted a kiss as soft as a feather against the botched skin. “I’m proud of you, Gavin. How many days or weeks are you clean?”

“Uh… I’d say about three weeks maybe?” Gavin estimated. 

Nines nodded and let go of his lover’s hand. The pair finished their shower and got out, getting dried and dressed into the pyjamas that they had chosen. Nines and Gavin then went to bed, where they lay down and talked about random things for about an hour before Gavin fell asleep.

The next day, at midday, Gavin helped Lillian pick out the patrols of people slipping out into society. Neither of them acknowledged what had happened at the announcement, and it was probably the best that it stayed that way - at least until they could talk in private.

“I’m just making sure that you realise, if we do bring back some new members, you and Nines will have to share a room with Hank and Connor,” Lillian said.

“Yeah,” Gavin replied. Honestly, he didn’t even think about that, but it wouldn’t be the first time that he had shared with them. He heaved a sigh as he looked at the little groups of two to four people, made mostly of humans with a few androids thrown in the mix. They were all talking quietly among themselves, and at least one person of every group was carrying a bag.

Everyone said their goodbyes to the patrols as they filed out one by one. But not all of them had left yet. Gavin asked Lillian about it, and she replied that they needed to carefully space the time between each patrol so that there wasn’t just a mass of new figures entering the society.

“Smart,” Gavin said after she had explained. “I wouldn’t have thought about doing something like that. See, Lillian? You’re smart, not me.” He pointed to his head. “This bitch empty. I should not be a leader of any sort.”

“I understand,” she replied with a nod. “I should have asked you before asking something so big of you in front of everyone like that.”

Gavin bit back a disdainful remark and instead responded with a tentative nod. “Right. Well, bye.”

Wanting to escape the overly awkward situation, Gavin gave another nod and scurried away to find Nines, who was talking with Connor near a corner of the room. Gavin approached them and practically flung himself at Nines, who stumbled backwards as he was caught off guard, but didn’t fall. Nines caught Gavin in his arms.

“That was a speedy entrance,” Nines commented after a swift recovery from Gavin’s launch.

“It’s because I’m gay.”

“You say that so regularly,” Connor mused.

“You’re a straightie, you wouldn’t understand,” Gavin said.

“I never said I was straight,” Connor replied, his LED flickering yellow.

“Oh. Oh. Okay, my bad,” Gavin said. “So Connor, are you crushing on anyone?”

“I will not be disclosing that information,” Connor replied. 

“Aww, are you sure Con?”

“Yes. I am asexual and I believe I may also be aromantic, or biromantic. One of those two options.”

Oh. Oops.

“Oh, okay, either way you are not straight. I guess for you it’s nerf or nothing.”

Nines looked amused while Connor looked innocently confused. It was clear that only one of the two had been doing their meme homework. I am so proud of Nines, Gavin thought with a little smile. He is slowly becoming a mix of a living meme machine, a stone cold man-bitch, and a big gay. A lot of those things come from my influence, I think.

Gavin was about to playfully taunt Connor about his severe lack of meme knowledge when Hank walked up to the group.

“Hey Hank,” Gavin greeted.

“I’m going to see Eloise,” Hank said, ignoring Gavin’s greeting. “See how she’s going. You three should come with me.”

Gavin was about to mock Hank when Nines slapped a hand over his mouth. Nines knows. Gavin let out a scoff that was muffled by his boyfriend’s palm. Gavin refused to be silenced, so he protested in the form of a hearty bite of Nines’ hand. Nines’ eyes fkew wide open with surprise as he quickly retracted his hand.

“We should go to see Eloise now,” Nines said, not addressing the fact that he was just bitten by his boyfriend. It wouldn’t be the first time, but where they were standing plus the given context is not a situation Nines ever assumed he would be literally bitten. He accepted it as a part of reality - he moved his hand in front of Gavin’s mouth, and Gavin can be unpredictable. 

To Nines, Gavin was an enigma. When placed in a situation in which you think Gavin will do one thing, he will go and do something completely different. Just when Nines thought he had Gavin figured out, he would be and do differently. Gavin was the first person to officially confuse and surprise Nines’ otherwise highly intelligent coding and thought system.

And, minus the android mumbo jumbo, Gavin thought the same about Nines.

“Yes, we should,” Hank said, slicing through Nines’ momentary contemplation. The group of four walked towards the long hallway, where Gavin instinctively pressed up against Nines. Nines held onto Gavin’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Just like last time, the entire group was on edge from their surroundings.

“I don’t like it here,” Gavin said quietly to Nines. “You know that already.”

“I know. Gavin, baby, it’s okay. I don’t like it either, but it’ll be over soon.”

Gavin’s lips formed a small smile. He was glad that Nines wasn’t invalidating him.

When they went down the stairs and into the lab, the group instantly approached the area where Eloise was being healed. There they saw Amy, who was focusing on a clipboard she was writing on. Hank walked over to her quickly.

“How’s Eloise?” Hank asked sharply. Gavin wasn’t sure whether it was more of a question or a demand for knowledge. Hank glanced over to Eloise’s bed, where she was covered over with a white sheet.

“We are trying our best,” Amy said.

“Well, how the fuck am I even supposed to know that you’re a legit android doctor scientist or whatever anyway?”

Amy looked at Hank with little patience. “I was trained a few years ago, and I was taught everything there is to know about helping, healing and fixing androids. They’re much more simple to take care of than humans.”

“And?” Hank pressed.

Amy rolled her eyes. “My training was done by Elijah Kamski himself,” she replied.

Elijah Kamski.

That name pierced Gavin like a spear.

“Elijah fucking Kamski,” Gavin mumbled, covering up the fact that even the mention of him pained him. “I wonder where he is now.”

Nines and Connor exchanged a glance, as Amy asked, “You don’t know?”

“Know what?” Gavin asked. He looked at the two androids, who suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Know what!?”

“There’s something we haven’t told you,” Connor began.

“It is due to your past connections, and we knew you would not take this well,” Nines added.

“Well, spit it out then,” Gavin replied, his patience for these idiots already wearing thin. The hell are they hiding from me!? He thought, furrowing his eyebrows as he waited for an explanation.

Connor and Nines exchanged another glance, and they seemed to have a silent conversation. A silent exchange of knowledge, a bond that Gavin will never know about. Connor dipped his head and shuffled a few centimetres backwards, leaving the floor to Nines.

“You know Elijah Kamski,” Nines began.

“Of course I do,” Gavin said flatly. “He’s my fuckhead of a brother.”

“Well, I’m not sure if you’ve ever stopped to reflect on this subject, but… He’s still alive.”

Gavin didn’t like where this was going.. “He’s… Go on.”

“Elijah works closely alongside Markus. Markus still leads the deviants - therefore, all of the android society - and basically promised Elijah a long life of luxury if he agreed to work alongside him, even with Elijah knowing completely what Markus’ plans were. Now, I don’t know why-”

Gavin’s heart was chilled, and his veins were coursing with unadulterated loathing. He clenched his fists and grit his teeth, and his nose flared with anger. “That fucking bastard.” His voice was dangerously low and cold. “That fucking bastard doomed us all for a nice fucking life! He’s a heartless prick!” he screeched out with rage.

Amy stepped in front of Gavin. “Sir, you need to calm dow-”

“Shut the fuck up!” Gavin screamed at the doctor. 

“Gavin,” Nines said, putting his hands on Gavin’s shoulders and looking into his eyes. “Let’s go back to our room, okay?”

“No!” Gavin said, ripping away from his boyfriend’s grip.

“I told you he’d react this way,” Connor said quietly.

“Gavin, quit acting like a child who got his candy removed. You need to calm down or remove yourself from this room where you can break something valuable,” Nines said. “You are acting like a spoilt brat.”

“I am fucking not!”

“You are, you idiot!” Hank yelled at Gavin. “Stop yelling at everyone and get out of here, we don’t want you!”

“You have to calm down,” Connor said, with Amy nodding with agreement.  
This made Gavin completely furious. He grabbed something made of glass from a nearby shelf and threw it at Hank. A shocked Hank scattered, and the object shattered right where he was standing. Hank’s jaw was gaping.

“Gavin, what are you doing!?” Nines gasped, standing behind Gavin and grabbing his arms to force them behind his back. “You’re out of control!”

This is the doings of the rage that Elijah makes Gavin feel.

“Fuck off!” Gavin yelled. He craned his neck backwards and spat in Nines’ face.

Nines picked up Gavin and stomped towards the entrance of the lab, and all the while, Gavin was writhing and protesting in his arms. If Gavin was there any longer, Hank would have punched him in the face. Connor apologised profusely to Amy and everyone else in the lab who were awkwardly watching the entire time.

As soon as they left the hallway, Gavin fell silent. He didn’t want to draw any attention to himself, but he was still silently seething with rage. He was like an overfilled balloon, close to bursting, except for a second time.

As soon as they reached their room, Nines closed the door and dropped Gavin like a sack of bricks.

“What the hell was that!?” Nines demanded.

Gavin stood up and took a deep breath. “Nines, I… I’m sorry. Knowing that Elijah is out there, okay, living in luxury for the exchange of literally every other human… I hate him, so fucking much.”

Nines’ eyes softened. “I understand.” He set his hands on Gavin’s hips. “But you threw a tantrum, and you tried to harm Hank. That is not okay.”

“I know, I, ugh! Everything is dumb and stupid,” Gavin groaned. 

Nines softly combed his fingers through Gavin’s hair. “We have to work on this, okay? You have to stop with these outbursts of anger.”

Gavin nodded. He hated feeling small - it was like he never grew up. But Gavin was forced to grow up too soon. “I’ll apologise to Hank later.”

“Good choice. I love you, baby boy,” Nines said before kissing Gavin’s forehead.

That nickname made him feel giddy. “Yeah, I love you too.”

The next day, Gavin apologised to Hank, who was annoyed but accepted the apology anyway. Gavin, Nines, and Lillian saw two more patrols off on a mission to bring back humans and helpful androids. Gavin even did some chores in the lab to help make up for breaking something.

In the mid afternoon, Nines and Gavin were cuddling. Gavin remembered that he had a phone now and was listening to music through his earplugs, and he was humming lazily along to the tune. Nines was running his fingers through Gavin’s hair and giving him a soft look which held some curiosity as well. This is something Nines has done before, but it always made Gavin’s heart glow.

Then, Nines’ arm jolted. Surprised, Gavin looked up at him and removed his earplugs. “The fuck?”

Nines trained his stare right at Gavin. “Gavin. You need to leave. Now.”

“Bitch, the fu-”

“Go now!”

A very confused Gavin scrambled off of the bed. “Nines, what’s happening!”

“Leave, for fuck’s sake, leave!”

Gavin nodded and quickly left the room with Nines close behind. Gavin closed the door behind him. Gavin waited at the door for Nines to say something, anything.

He heard the sounds of strange machinery, and Nines repeating something to himself in a robotic voice:

“Kill Gavin Reed and anyone associated with him.”

Gavin felt his heart drop.

Nines was somehow reverting back to the times when he’d have his outbursts of whatever the hell was injected into his coding. He heard some mechanical whirring, then a cry that absolutely broke Gavin’s heart.

“No, no, I can’t become this again! I don’t want to hurt anyone else!”

Gavin felt his eyes tear up. He wanted to help his boyfriend so desperately. He was scared that this version of Nines was back, but he wanted to help him as much as he could. Gavin waited and waited outside of the door until Nines opened the door.

He’s been crying…

Gavin went into their room and pulled Nines into a tight hug. “Nines, Nines, oh my fuck… Are you okay?” 

“It happened again, Gavin, I thought it would stop happening.” Nines sounded like he was trying desperately not to cry. “I’m a monster.”

Nines buried his face in Gavin’s shoulder and sobbed helplessly. Gavin felt his heart completely shatter. He rubbed Nines’ back. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m right here…”

Gavin hugged him for a few more moments before pulling away and leading him to bed. They sat down, and Gavin rubbed Nines’ back. “Nines, it’s okay, I promise. I’m here. You didn’t hurt anyone.”

“I know, but Gavin, I’m so scared.”

Gavin could barely hold eye contact. “I know, baby, I know. How about we go speak to Amy, hmm? She could be able to help us.”

Nines nodded and wiped his face so there was no residue of his synthetic tears.

“I can’t help you,” is what Amy said when Gavin took Nines to her.

“Why the hell not!?”

“Not even I know how,” Amy said. “Only Elijah Kamski can.”

Elijah fucking Kamski. Because who else would it be!?

Gavin turned to Nines, looking seriously. “We’re going to see him.

Nines’ eyes widened with surprise. “Wait, Gavin, are you su-”

“Yes I’m fucking sure. Anything to make you better. Nines, tomorrow we are going to go on a journey to see my brother.”

~~~~~~~  
I sincerely apologise about how much the chapter is lacking towards the end! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

There is 4.2k words ahead, hold on to your horses! But, I must ask - is warning y'all about longer chapters even worth it at this point? Lol, hey seem to get longer and longer-!

~~~~~~

"Gavin, you don't have to do this," Nines insisted, grabbing Gavin's arm.

Gavin turned around and looked at Nines. "Love, you're acting up again. I heard how much you were struggling, I know how much you hate yourself because of this. But this can be fixed, I just need to get you to my dickhead of a brother."

"I don't want to put you through the rage, grief and anguish I know you will experience by seeing him," Nines replied. “You discovered his state of wellbeing yesterday and it resulted in you assaulting Hank.”

“The thing didn’t hit him,” Gavin said.

“You still threw it at him, Gavin.”

“True but also… Die. Wait, no, don’t do that. Death is illegal. Please don’t die.”

“I’ll try my best not to,” Nines said.

“I promise when we see Elijah I will not smash his head in,” Gavin said. “I’ll probably yell at him, but I won’t-”

“Gavin,” Nines said sharply. “Please, please think about this. It’s a huge decision, and extremely dangerous.”

“Can you have this argument somewhere else?” Amy suddenly cut in.

“Right. Bye,” Gavin said. He took Nines’ hand and they walked towards the exit of the lab. “Nines, please, he can fix you.”

“It’s dangerous,” Nines replied.

Gavin sighed deeply. In the hallway, the pair power-walked through it. It would forever be an area that made their skin crawl due to the memories attached to a place that was eerily similar. Like every other time, Gavin clung to Nines’ side.

“They have to fix that, seriously,” Gavin said.

“They do,” Nines agree. “Perhaps the walls could be painted. We can talk to Lillain about it.”

“M’kay.”

The two walked in silence up to their bedroom, but the tension in the air between them was thick. They knew that their argument would continue as soon as they stepped through that bedroom door - which is exactly what happened. As soon as they were in their room and the door had shut behind them, Gavin spoke.

“You are going to end up killing me if you don’t get fixed.”

Nines looked at Gavin as a look of horror crossed his face, like he was fighting against the mental imagery of attacking Gavin again, or the memories of his attempted murder. Which is exactly what Nines was doing. The thought of harming Gavin again in any way shattered his metaphorical heart into pieces.

“Gavin, please don’t make me think about that.”

“If you do kill me, you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself,” Gavin continued. He knew that Nines was becoming emotionally vulnerable, and he needed to convince him that leaving to see Elijah Kamski was the right idea - even if Gavin wanted so desperately wanted to punch up his stupid, smug face.

There was a knock at the door.

“Not now,” Gavin said.

“Can I come in?” Connor’s voice asked from the other side of the door.

“Ugh, fine, whatever,” Gavin answered. Both men looked at the door as Connor walked into the door, shutting the door tentatively behind him.

“Are you two okay?” Connor asked.

“Connor, help me convince Nines that seeing Elijah Kamski is the correct idea,” Gavin said, ignoring his questionly.

Connor looked over to Nines’ distraught face and he frowned. “I don’t think I should take sides in this.”

These androids are testing my patience, Gavin thought as he forced back an eyeroll. Always making me do this shit myself. Because I definitely do all of these things myself. Yep. All me.

“Nines, if we don’t go and see Elijah Kamski, you’re going to end up trying to kill me again,” Gavin said.

Connor realised quickly what was happening. “Gavin, please stop-”

“You might actually kill me this time! You will never be able to live with yourself if you end up with me dead knowing you killed me! My blood will be on your hands!”

“Gavin, stop this right now!” Connor yelled. “Nines’ stress level is getting too high, you’re upsetting him too much! Stop!”

Gavin took a step forward so he was closer to Nines. Connor’s words were just encouraging; Gavin was getting closer to convincing Nines.

“You’ll. Kill. Me.”

Connor grabbed Gavin’s arm and yanked him backward. Connor turned Gavin to face him, and Gavin saw a look of anger in Connor’s eyes that he had never seen on that soft doll face of his.

“Connor, what if he turned on you? Or me? Would you want him to suffer? What would you do!?”

“That won’t happen, Gavin,” Connor answered. “Nines won’t hurt us, and we won’t have to hurt him.”

“If we don’t fix him, then someone is going to end up dying.”

“Gavin, sometimes I think you’re a better person, but then you do things like this that prove that you are a piece of shit. You are a piece of human garbage and seeing you treat your boyfriend like this makes part of me wish that we never risked our lives to save you. You think you’re entitled to everything! Take a step back and try to think of other people, because those are a thing! Don’t you ever do this again.”

Gavin looked over from Connor’s look of stern anger to see Nines devastated expression, and he instantly realised how much of a dick he was as Connor’s words sunk in. Gavin seriously thought that upsetting and manipulating Nines’ feelings into emotional submission, which is not and never will be a reasonable thing to do.

“Nines…” Gavin pried away from Connor’s touch and walked over to Nines. “Nines, I am so sorry.”

A tear streamed down Nines’ cheek. Gavin had fucked up big time. “No. I am not going to make excuses for you. You hurt me, and now I am going to give myself time to heal from the damage you caused me.” Nines looked at Connor. “May I sleep in the room you share with Hank for a few nights?”

“Wait,” Gavin interrupted with dismay. He didn’t want Nines to leave. “How can I make this up to you?”

“By trying to be a good boyfriend and understanding that I need time to feel better,” Nines said sharply. “Once I decide to, we will go and see Elijah Kamski. Only because I know that I need to get better, and get this phantom out of my body. I suggest you spend these days wisely and try to get yourself in order. You should not be as dependent on me as you are.”

Connor nodded in agreement of Nines’ decision. “I think that this is for the best.”

“And in case I didn’t make it clear enough,” Nines added, “This means that we will be taking a break relationship wise.”

Gavin bit back a pained protest. He knew that this was for the best, and he needed to face the consequences to his actions. Trying to break down Nines to try to get him to agree to doing something was horrible, and not necessary.

“Who’s going to be staying with me, if Nines isn’t?” Gavin instead asked quietly.

“I will, because I don’t need to sleep in a bed,” Connor replied.

“Okay,” Gavin said. “Both of you, will you kindly fuck off and just get out please?”

“Okay, but later when it’s time to sleep you won’t be able to kick me out,” Connor said. He turned and left with Nines. Gavin heard Connor say, “You made the right choice and I’m proud of you.”

Gavin walked over to the door and closed it, then went over to his bed and sat down. He put his face in his hands and sat there in that position, and he started to murmur to himself, “I’m so stupid, I’m so stupid…”

He then stood up and stopped sulking. In this time, Gavin would actually make himself useful and start on a plan to go and see Elijah Kamski for help with Nines.

That night, Gavin had fallen asleep in his bed after a prolonged time of just laying there and thinking about his trashiness. But his sleep, if it ever was sound, did not last long. He was having a dream, and in said dream, Gavin had just screamed at Nines that he never loved him and that he was using him. Gavin had to watch himself say something he would never say. He saw the heartbroken look on Nines’ face and tears began to cascade down Gavin’s cheeks like a waterfall. This dream version of Gavin was so heartless, so cruel - the person beneath the masquerade, the person hidden deep within.

Gavin’s dream quickly flipped, and Gavin was suddenly seeing himself in a third person point of view struggling against a corrupted Nines, and trying to tackle the pistol out of his hand. The corrupted Nines put his gun against Gavin’s head and pulled the trigger. Gavin saw himself drop to the floor, blood gushing out of the wound, as Nines returned back to the normal. Nines fell onto his knees and began to sob, and before Gavin could comprehend, Nines made sure that he himself was reduced to a corpse.

Gavin woke up drenched in sweat with tears pouring down his cheeks, and his heart beating faster than a cheetah could run. He sat up, panting, and looked over at Connor. Gavin knew Connor could hear him.

“Connor, I need a hug.”

No response.

“Connor, please, I had a horrible dream.”

Connor remained an appearance that made himself look like he was asleep, and Gavin realised that he wouldn’t be getting any help. And honestly? He couldn’t really blame Connor for doing that, even though it did kinda sting. Gavin just lay back down and spent at least two hours awake until he could finally fall asleep.

A week passed. A week of Gavin planning how they will get to Elijah’s home and back. A week of Nines looking at Gavin with hurt and some longing. A week of Gavin waking up every night due to a nightmare with no one to soothe him - Connor had ignored it, showing silent refusal to help.

Gavin was sitting in his room at the desk, which was scattered with some papers that he had been writing on. He had talked with a couple who had agreed to help hotwire and put fuel in any suitable car they find in the closest street to the mansion. As he wrote down a potential backup plan, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Gavin said.

He glanced up at the opening door. It was Nines.

“Hi,” Gavin greeted. He wasn’t really sure what to say.

“Hello.” Nines walked over to the desk. “What is all this?”

“Planning for when we go see Kamski,” Gavin answered.

Nines nodded. “Alright, good idea. I came to inform you that I am willing to return, and resume our relationship, on the condition that you never gaslight me ever again.”

“I promise, I never will,” Gavin said. “I swear. I am disgusted at myself for doing it.”

“Good.” Nines leaned down and he kissed Gavin’s temple. Gavin stood up and gave Nines a deep kiss on the lips before tugging him into a tight embrace. Gavin rested his head on Nines’ shoulder.

“I’ve missed you, tincan,” Gavin mumbled into his shoulder. He felt a hand fall on the back of his head and stroke it softly.

“I’ve missed you too, Gavin. But you know why I did what I did.”

“Right.”

“Gavin, Connor said you had nightmares,” Nines said, pulling away from the hug just enough to look into Gavin’s eyes. His own were filled with concern. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah… Just some shit about the tunnels, the day where androids took over, the abuse from the androids back at wherever we were, shit like that,” Gavin said. He wasn’t lying - he did have nightmares with those themes. But a nightmare that he could never mention was seeing Nines shoot Gavin and then himself.

He had also had a nightmare of Connor being forced to shoot a completely corrupted Nines. It had felt so real, but Gavin knew that something like that would never happen. As long as they were going to see Elijah Kamski, everything will be okay. It had to be.

“I’m so sorry. It must be terrible, having your mind forcing you to relive those moments,” Nines said softly. He gave Gavin a kiss on the forehead. “I’m here now, baby boy.”

Baby boy. That nickname made Gavin feel giddy, and he felt heat flooding his cheeks. Damn it. Fucking stupid ass blush.

“Thanks, uh, big man,” Gavin said before face-palming at his own stupidity. “This is why I don’t do the gay.”

“This is why you do do the gay,” Nines retorted.

“Nah, I’m a bottom, remember?”

Nines snorted in amusement. “Openly admitting that is a very bold move, bottom.”

“No you.” Gavin gently flicked Nines’ head before looking down at the table. “Wanna review my notes? I probably missed something big.”

Nines nodded and he sat down at the desk. He activated a quick scan so his eyes barely grazed over the words as he soaked in and processed all of the information in front of him. “You have bad handwriting,” Nines commented.

“Thanks, it’s because I’m gay.”

“Those two things have no correlation whatsoever, but alright.”

Gavin waited silently as Nines did whatever his cool android program thing did to read stuff quickly. After about a minute, Nines looked at Gavin and asked, “Gavin. What if he says no?”

I don’t want to think about that.

“He won’t.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive,” Gavin insisted. “I’m his brother. He won’t turn me away.”

“Alright. I trust you.” Nines stood up and pushed the chair in neatly under the desk. “Other than that, this plan should do well. I am pleasantly surprised that you have the ability to think for yourself and create a plan like that.”

“I am pleasantly surprised I haven’t perished you yet.”

Nines rolled his eyes. “Okay, Gavin. We should go down and grab some food, don’t you think? Then we can ask Connor if he wants to join us on our journey. We are not doing this alone.”

“Damn it, okay,” Gavin replied. “What about Hank?”

“He’s a little old to risk taking this journey,” Nines said. “Getting us in the tunnels was probably the rest of adventuring he’d want to do in his life.”

“Yeah, probably. I’m just surprised you didn’t want to invite him along, not saying I want him coming.”

Nines chuckled. “I love you, Gavin.”

“Love you too, tincan.”

Nines stretched out his hand, a silent offering for Gavin to hold it - an offering accepted. Gavin took Nines’ hand and even gave it a little squeeze. He gave Nines a smile, and Nines gave a sweet one back.

I am so gay for you, Gavin adoringly thought. “We are gay.”

“We most certainly are,” Nines agreed. “Let’s go and get some food.”

Together, Gavin and Nines grabbed themselves some dinner from the food hall, then they walked outside where they sat on the porch. Nines ate some thirium-based pasta, and Gavin ate chicken wings and fries. They talked about whatever random topic came to mind, and then Gavin suggested, “We should go run in the forest and forget about life for a while.”

Nines smiled. “I like that idea.”

The pair set down their empty plates and just left them on the porch. Nines would usually make a fuss about cleaning it up, but the two were going to let go of their worries, even if only temporarily. Hand in hand, Nines and Gavin ran out towards the forest. They ran deep into it, but not too far so they could retrace their steps (which Nines could easily do, but it was more fun to try to navigate by human memory).

Gavin and Nines stopped as soon as they got to a clearing. The gap in the trees let the softening lights of pre-dusk shine down upon the grass that was glistening due to recent rain. Lining the clearing were young, luscious fern fronds that were unfurling beside a few scattered rocks, with some clumps of disarrayed flowers that Gavin was unable to identify.

Nearby, Gavin heard a bird proudly singing the lovely song that it had, and the gentle rushing of water. Next to the clearing, hugging it like a protecting arm, was a tiny stream. Water trickled smoothly over the pebbles within - it would be no more than two and a half feet deep.

“This is so beautiful,” Gavin said. He took a deep inhale through his nose, letting the fresh scents of nature send serotonin throughout his body. He didn’t know until that moment how much he needed this - how much he just needed to be out in nature without the fear of being attacked or hunted.

“It is. It was a good idea to come out here,” Nines said.

Gavin walked over to the stream and sat down beside him, right on the shore that was a mix of dirt, tiny rock fragments, and dark sand. He dipped his hand into the surprisingly clear water, letting the cold water wash over his hand. He cupped it up in his hand and brought it to his lips, taking a sip.

“I advise against drinking stream water, it is not an absolute necessity,” Nines said.

“I don’t have any fucks to give, let me enjoy this.”

Nines chuckled softly. “Alright. I wouldn’t be enough to harm you, anyway.”

Gavin cupped more water into his hands and splashed it against his face. This natural water felt so refreshing, so right to be in contact with.

“I never used to take advantage of living near a forest like this,” Gavin said. “I guess I just took the life I had for granted.”

“You would have never guessed that anything like this would happen.”

Gavin shrugged. “Suppose not, considering that Markus seemed to want peace. Now? Who the hell knows what he wants.”

Nines looked down at the water silently, and Gavin did the same. He leaned forward and saw his reflection, which was distorted and faded because the stream was literally just flowing water.

“Do you think that seeing Elijah is a good idea?” Gavin asked out of the blue. He was beginning to have his doubts.

“Yes, I believe it will be worth it. You said yourself that if I don’t go and see him and get fixed up, then I’ll end up hurting someone. I will never want to do that, so yes, this is the correct move to make.”

Gavin nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Nines. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Nines leaned over, and Gavin closed the gap. The pair shared a deep, sensual kiss, and pulled away once Gavin needed to breathe. He was not going to loudly inhale through his nose today.

Gavin shuffled closer to Nines and rested his head on his shoulder. “When do you think we should go and see my dumb fuck brother?”

“I suggest we start moving tomorrow. The sooner, the better,” Nines said. “We can ask Connor once we return.”

Gavin nodded. He grasped Nines’ hand again and squeezed it softly. “Nines, when we were separated, did you have any more… Outbursts? I don’t know what to call them.”

“Yes. I would lock myself into Connor and Hank’s bathroom until it passed,” Nines said. He squeezed his eyes shut as if he was reliving a painful memory. “Every time, it would happen for longer. It was so hard to get a grip on myself. I pray that when we drive to Kamski’s house tomorrow, that it will not happen again.”

“Yeah, that’d be so shit,” Gavin said. “Just hold on, okay? I’m sure you can push through until we get there. And when we get there, Elijah can help you.”

Nines nodded. He didn’t voice his bubbling concerns that he had. Knowing the type of person that Kamski is, I doubt that he will agree to helping me. Not without some sort of catch, Nines thought. But I shall go, with the little piece of me that believes Kamski may have some decency buried beneath the evil.

Gavin and Nines sat in silence, watching the stream flow with water and the occasional bird fly nearby. After about twenty minutes passed, Gavin stood up, and instantly began to complain about having pins and needles in his leg.

“Which one?” Nines asked.

“Right. Why?”

“I shall step on it. That will help relive it faster.”

“What the fuck- okay, whatever, do it.”

Nines stood up and stepped on Gavin’s foot a few times. It hurt in the weird pins and needles way, and then the distinct feeling dissolved.

“Thanks,” Gavin said, shaking his leg out to dismiss the rest of the dwelling sensation.

“Of course,” Nines replied. “We should return to the mansion now.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Hand in hand, and with the guidance of Gavin’s memory, the pair navigated through the dense forest. On the way back, they distantly saw a deer jumping through the forest with a fawn in tow. Gavin made a kind comment about how he was glad that despite the state of the world, nature will always continue to flourish and grow as if nothing had changed.

They eventually made it back to the mansion after they had gotten lost twice due to Gavin’s bad memory. Their abandoned dishes were absent, therefore someone else had taken them back to the kitchen, and furthermore, Gavin and Nines could simply return to their bedroom and forget that it even existed.

They walked into the mansion and walked up the staircase that led to their room. Instead of going directly there, they walked to Connor and Hank’s room and knocked on the door.

“The fuck? What do you want?” Hank asked from inside.

“Gavin and I wish to speak with Connor,” Nines replied.

“Whatever. Come in, shut the door behind ya.”

Nines opened the door and walked inside with Gavin following closely behind. Connor was standing idly against the wall, and Gavin noticed that he was on charge.

“Connor?” Nines said.

Connor’s LED flashed yellow and he looked over at Nines. “Oh, hello.” He stepped off of the wireless charging plate and walked over to Gavin and Nines.

“Hey Connor, we were wondering if you’d like to join us tomorrow when we go to see Elijah.”

Hank, who was sitting on the bed, swung around to look at them with curiosity.

“Oh? Well, hmm. Okay, I’ll come,” Connor agreed. “You probably need someone else along with you. How are we getting there?”

“We’re gonna hotwire and fill a car with fuel,” Gavin replied.

“That sounds fun,” Connor said. “I’m in, definitely.”

“I’m going to skip this one out,” Hank said sharply, as if annoyed that no one had offered to him for him to join them.

“We thought you would,” Nines said. “This journey should be done by us three.”

“Whatever,” Hank grumbled. “So, you’re actually going to see good ol’ Kamski?”

“Of course,” Gavin replied. “We have to free Nines of his… Issue. I don’t know what to call it.”

“Anything works,” Nines replied with a shrug.

“Have fun, and good luck. Last time I went there, it did not go well,” Hank said casually.

What. “Hold the fuck up,” Gavin said. “The last time you went there? Have you been to his house?”

“Yeah, I thought you knew. Connor and I had to see him as a part of a case. But you wouldn’t know. You hated us back then.”

Gavin felt a wave of awkwardness wash over him, and he shrugged. “Yeah, okay, so I did. That was then. This is now.”

“Indeed,” Nines said. “Tomorrow, Connor, we shall leave some time in the morning.”

“Alright. I will continue to charge overnight so I am refreshed and ready. Gavin, you should make sure to get a good sleep,” Connor suggested.

“I’ll try my best,” Gavin responded. “Goodnight, everyone. We have a big day ahead of us.”

He took Nines’ hand, which was the same as usual - warm and soft, and always sits perfectly within Gavin’s own. Nines’ hand was gentle and flooding with some strange sense of pureness, whilst Gavin’s was scarred and calloused. But Nines’ flawless skin and Gavin’s scars all had stories to tell.

Hand in hand, Gavin and Nines left Connor and Hank’s room, Nines closing the door behind them. They went back to their bedroom where Gavin quickly got changed into a kitty pyjama top and plain sweatpants.

“Nice shirt,” Nines said teasingly.

“Die,” Gavin replied.

“I would prefer not to.”

Nines lay down in their bed, and then Gavin got into it next to him. He cuddled up to Nines’ chest and closed his eyes. Nines put his arms around Gavin and pulled him closer to his body.

“I love you,” Gavin said, closing his eyes. “Tomorrow is going to go well and Elijah will fix you.”

“I love you too. And let’s hope,” Nines mumbled, kissing the side of Gavin’s head softly. “Goodnight, Gavin.”

“Goodnight.”

Gavin closed his eyes and allowed his tensed body to completely relax, and before he knew it, he was asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Did I just write the longest chapter yet as 80% not relevant to the plot? M a y b e-


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Sunlight was radiating through the curtain as Gavin woke up, and he instantly squinted in annoyance. Stupid ass fuck sun. He snuggled closer to Nines who was on power saving mode, or something like that. Gavin sat up and gently shook his plastic boyfriend. Nines’ eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at Gavin.

“Hello,” Nines said, his voice raspy as he had only just ‘woken up’.

“Ah finally you’re here bitch, do you have a dollar?”

Confusion clouded Nines’ gaze and he furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

“Oh, never mind, just a Tiktok sound that was used quite a lot,” Gavin said dismissively. 

“Alright then,” Nines replied, still feeling confused.

“Anyways, we should probably get up and summon Connor,” Gavin said.

“Oh yes, allow us to summon him,” Nines said sarcastically. “He shall be summoned.”

“Heck yeah.”

“You’re so silly,” Nines said in an affectionate way. “And short as well.”

“Fuck you, I’m not short!”

“Sure you aren’t.” Nines ruffled Gavin’s hair and kissed his forehead before getting up. Gavin pouted grumpily and fixed up his already messy hair - hair that didn’t need to become messier - with his hand, and then he stood up. 

“I hate you,” Gavin said as he went to the closet.

“Mhm. Sure you do.”

“I do!” Gavin insisted.

“Alright. I shall begin to believe that you, my boyfriend, hates me,” Nines said.

Gavin pulled out a shirt, a hoodie, underwear, and jeans. “I deadass hate you.” He stripped down to nothing in front of Nines, and noticed that he was looking away. “You can look at me, Nines, it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked,” he assured.

“You are correct, but I prefer to choose the more polite option, which is looking away.”

“Such a gentleman.”

Gavin was beginning to dress himself with sweatpants and a hoodie, but then he froze and stopped to reconsider. He had to fit the mold, and even if many deviants wore human clothing and variants of such, Gavin decided that it was better to be safe than sorry and instead wear his customised android outfit. It was the very outfit that made him blend into the android clothing binary to help protect his image of what he had to be portrayed as, an android. Any suspicions that he was a human and he was dead. Quite literally.

Gavin pulled on the suit pants, and then put on the white button-up shirt. And on top of that, his very own GV200 android jacket. Gavin put his fake LED onto his temple carefully, making sure that it properly stuck. 

Nines handed Gavin some hair styling gel out of seemingly nowhere, and Gavin took it silently. Now is not the time to question where the hell Nines had got that from. He stared at himself in the mirror and squirted gel onto his hand, before running it through his hand. He styled up his hair as well as he could manage with bare hands. Nines then handed Gavin a brush, also seemingly out of nowhere.

“Where are you getting this shit from?” a highly confused and bewildered Gavin asked.

“A true magician never tells his secrets,” Nines replied with a wink to go along with his quintessential word. Such a commonly used statement in these sorts of situations, yet so annoying.

“Whatever.” Gavin looked back up at himself in the mirror and he brushed his hair so it finally had a perfect part. He put down the bottle of gel and the hairbrush on the nearby desk, then he stiffened up his posture and made his face have a look of seriousness. Gavin marched over to Nines, maintaining the stiff posture.

“How do I look?” Gavin asked, with a little grin. “Do I look enough like an android?”

“You’d fool me for certain and I would believe you’re an android at first glance…”

Yes! Gavin thought triumphantly. He fist-pumped the air.

“... But that would be if you weren’t a deviant. You look like you’re trying too hard,” Nines said. “Just walk how you normally do, and you will be fine.”

Fuck! Oh well, I was close enough.

"Okay, thanks," Gavin said. He took a few steps away from then back towards Nines in his normal way of walking. "Like that?"

"Yes, but you're too tense. You need to relax."

Gavin raised an eyebrow. "Hm? Well, why don't you give me a massage then?" He asked. 

Nines chuckled and he shook his head. "Another time, sweetheart. Another time."

"Okay, you big gay." Gavin gave Nines a kiss on the cheek. "Love you." 

Nines gave Gavin a kiss on the head in return. It was a gay exchange. Exgaynge. "I love you too."

"We should get breakfast soon," Gavin said. "Well… I should. Unless you're getting thirium food again. Why do they even have that here."

Nines shrugged, then answered, "Verum is the place for both humans and androids alike."

"No, not alike," Gavin said flatly. "All you androids are lucky."

"How so?"

"Spared from the massacre."

Nines shook his head. "Say that to the androids who became mutated. Or androids like myself who gave up everything for humans."

"You sound like a person who wants a straight pride month." Gavin then shrugged at his own words. “Eh… Oppression discourse is meaningless in the end, this conversation is useless. I should take your help on board. We’re all on the same boat - in some way or another, we’re a community that goes against the norm and wishes of a much larger group and way of society. We’re all parted into a minority group, even despite our differences.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Nines said.

“This reminds me of LGBT discourse that used to happen,” Gavin said. “To that I say - who cares? The straights hate us all anyway.”

Nines laughed. A genuine, amused laugh, which Gavin was not expecting. He’s so gorgeous when he laughs, Gavin thought, starting to blush. 

“I was not expecting you to say that, even though I should have been in hindsight,” Nines laughed. “I don’t believe they hate us all, but, oh my RA9 that is so funny.”

“Bruh what? I have said a lot funnier things,” Gavin replied, despite a grin of his own. Haha, stupid android, letting me making him laugh. Still so fucking handsome either way...

Nines’ laughter died down, but he still bore an amused grin on his lips.

He’s hot he’s so hot oh my god he is so hOT OH MY GOD.

“G-gay, you, you’re gay,” is all that Gavin managed to splutter out.

“Oh, is that so? Because someone is showing more symptoms of the gay than I am.”

“Symptoms? Bitch, you-”

Gavin cut himself off when Nines grabbed his waist and dipped him. He quickly flung his arms around Nines’ upper back in order to not lose his balance. “Ahh! Nines oh my god,” Gavin groaned. Nines leaned down and gave him a few kisses along Gavin’s jawline, causing Gavin to blush hard.

“Okay, enough, mister hee hee haa haa homosexual have are big are do be gay,” Gavin said.

Nines let Gavin go carefully, releasing him from his arms grip in a slow way to ensure that Gavin was balanced on the ground until he completely cut all physical contact. “I could not comprehend what that sentence was supposed to mean. Thank you.”

“You are welcome. Nothing can match my amount of large intellectual.”

“Sure…”

Gavin flipped Nines off in a smooth motion before looking at the mirror and touching up his look by brushing down a stray strand of hair. He froze. “Fuck, hold on. We need makeup to cover my scar.”

“Good thinking,” Nines said. “I’m not sure why I did not think of that. We should use makeup to cover all of the imperfections on your face. I am not saying that you aren’t perfect how you look, but your normal human features must be tinkered with to convey what society believes as perfect, therefore what an android should appear as.”

“Damn, that’s some deep shit right there,” Gavin said. “We should have run an Instagram account together on hot takes. Since all the good usernames are taken and inactive, we could have named it like, hottakesbysomegays. But that would probably be taken. Ugh, why did my generation take all the good usernames when we were younger? We left none for the future human people!”

“There are no human people left remaining that could make use of the usernames, taken or not,” Nines said.

“Nines, what the fuck!?” Gavin said, shooting his boyfriend a glare. “That’s insensitive as fuck. You know I lost my friends! Why are you like this?”

Nines shrugged. “I apologise, Gavin, I did not mean it like that. Let’s go find you some makeup to use.”

“Yeah, let’s. Would anyone have makeup? Is it still used?” Gavin asked.

“Androids would like to use it,” Nines said. “I do not see why they would not.”

“Okay, but does anyone here have it? ‘Cause we’re out, I know that,” Gavin said. “Oh, wait. Lillian would.”

“Go see her then,” Nines replied. “I’ll go get Connor.”

“Okay. Then we can finally have breakfast.”

Nines responded with a curt nod and the couple exchanged a short but sweet kiss before leaving their room. Nines parted from his boyfriend’s side to get and fetch Connor, and Gavin went down the stairs. He walked across the large room and up another flight of stairs, and then stopped outside of Lillian’s door. He knocked on the solid wood.

“Who’s there?” Lillian asked from the other side.

“Er, me. Gavin,” he replied.

“What do you need, Gavin?”

“Makeup, if you have any,” Gavin answered.

“I sure do. It’s unlocked, so come in.”

Gavin opened the door and walked inside of the room, and saw Lillian laying on her bed with an open book. “Top drawer,” she said, pointing to her small dresser and not looking at Gavin. 

“Okay.” Gavin went over to where she pointed. He felt some tension in the room - probably because of the incident that happened deadass in front of everybody. He opened the drawer and screamed when he looked at the contents and images inside, and he slammed it shut. “Lillian, oh my god!” he screeched with shock. Gavin was now permanently scarred.

“Gavin, oh my god, you opened the wrong one!” she yelped back, panicked. “I was clearly pointing at the other one!” Both of their faces were redder than strawberries at this point.

“No! You weren’t!” Frantically, Gavin opened the draw. He quickly grabbed all of the makeup out of the correct drawer and ran out of the room, barely stopping to close the door behind them. Gavin ran away from her room. Oh my god oh my god oh my goD OH MY GOD.

Gavin had seen and even owned similar objects, sure, but he had never wanted to see someone else’s. At least not without warning. Once, his drunk friend had shown him his own very interesting collection, but this was different. Way different. He quickly went back to his room and ran inside where he saw Nines and Connor standing side by side.

“Are you alright?” Nines asked as soon as he looked at Gavin’s flustered face.

“I have seen things that I shouldn’t have,” Gavin said. “There were even photos. I can never look at Lillian the same again.”

“I… Do not follow,” Connor said.

“If he is talking about what I presume he is, then thank RA9 that you do not understand,” Nines said. “I wish I did not hear what he had said.”

Gavin dumped all of the makeup that he had grabbed onto the bed. “Okay, not thinking about… That… Time to make me pretty.”

“You already are pretty, Gavin,” Nines said.

“That’s gay. Nines, help me look presentable for stupid android society, then.”

Nines walked over to the makeup that Gavin had carelessly scattered and grabbed moisturizer and foundation. “Sit on the bed.”

Gavin sat down on the bed, and Nines sat next to him. Connor just stood there awkwardly as Nines carefully applied makeup to Gavin’s face. Once every part was covered, Nines put concealer and some other makeup carefully over Gavin’s nose carefully until his scar was completely faded. He then did the same to Gavin’s other small imperfections and the dark circles under his eyes.

Nines grabbed Gavin’s chin and looked all over his face, and then he let go. “Okay, it looks good. Very convincing,” Nines said. “You look like the android definition of perfect.”

“Cool.”

Neither Nines or Gavin pulled away. They just began to stare into each other’s eyes, their faces getting softer and softer until Connor cleared his throat meaningfully.

“Er, I hate to break this cute moment, but we have to get some breakfast for Gavin before we leave,” Connor said.

“Right,” Nines said, pulling his hand away and then standing up. “Lillian can fetch this if she wants to before we get back. We don’t have the time to return it to her.”

“And plus I don’t think I can look at her, like, ever again,” Gavin added.

“I still am very confused. What did you see?” Connor asked.

“Oh, honey,” Gavin replied. “You will never know, and it’s best kept that way.”

“Okay,” Connor sighed.

The group of three left Gavin and Nines’ room once again and walked downstairs to the food hall. Gavin got himself some cereal and ate it, before they all searched around for the person due to help them get a car - a man named Tom. Gavin saw him standing near the main entrance and walked over to him quickly.

“Tom, hey!” Gavin called out as he approached.

Tom swung his head and looked at them. “It’s about time you got here,” Tom said. He had pale skin and short black hair parted at the side, and was holding a bottle of car fuel in one hand and a crowbar in the other. “I was starting to think that you bailed.”

“Never,” Gavin replied. “Let’s go get us a car.”

Tom looked at Gavin’s outfit and raised an eyebrow. “Nice clothing choice.”

“You gotta do what you gotta do,” Gavin shrugged. “It’s better to be safe than sorry. Don’t want the car to break down or anything with me looking like a human mess.”

“I guess so,” Tom said. “Still. Strange.”

“Let us not waste any more time,” Nines said, wanting to break any verbal exchange that could turn into conflict. “Tom, where is the closest location where we could get a vehicle?”

“Just the street closest to the mansion will do,” Tom said, beginning to walk away from the mansion. “We can follow the gravel road. It becomes less gravel and more dirt along the way with plants growing on it which is why I think androids don’t bother looking down here.”

“That is a reasonable evaluation,” Nines said. “I do not believe myself or my team would have inspected this area.”

“What do you mean, you and your team?” Tom asked, stopping to look at Nines

Oh no, Gavin thought. Nines, you idiot, he’ll fucking end you!

“Nothing, it doesn’t matter,” Gavin said quickly.

Tom looked at both of them suspiciously. “Okay…” he said slowly. “So, what do you need a car for?”

Gavin answered before Nines or Connor had the chance, “Oh, we’re a patrol. We’re going around specifically for furniture, food, and clothes, and thought using a car would be easier,” he lied smoothly.

Nines looked at Gavin questioningly, and Gavin mouthed to him, ‘I’ll explain later’. 

“Okay, cool,” Tom said before he started walking again. He walked towards the gravel road with the human and two androids in tow. He led them down the gravel path in silence, and eventually decided to make conversation.

“So, why are you two androids here?” Tom asked.

“They-”

Tom cut Gavin off, “They can answer for themselves.”

“Connor and myself had helped Gavin escape from an android institution where he had been imprisoned as a slave and derived of basic needs,” Nines answered. “We had first taken him to a hotel where an android attacked him and threw him over the edge. I still cannot believe the sheer luck we had of saving him. Then we had taken him through a series of tunnels where we met up with Hank Anderson along the way, and then continued to travel where we came face to face with some android mutants. They had driven you out of their old home, I believe. They attacked us, took us hostage, we escaped, and they attacked us again, but we escaped. We travelled some more, stopped at another hotel along the way, and arrived here. We had helped Gavin escape, which is why we are here. We can never return to society - they know we had helped Gavin..”

“Jesus, some journey,” Tom said.

“How did you sum up it up like that? Fucking hell,” Gavin said.

“Wait, if the androids know you’re both traitors, why go back out? That’s a risky move,” Tom said.

“For myself, there are a lot more androids of my model,” Connor said. “So I am safer. It’s not like we will try to look at other androids for long enough that they recognise us.”

“What about the other android?” Tom asked.

“I…”

“I guess that we are so used to being on the run we didn’t think of getting him a new outfit,” Gavin answered for him.

“It’s alright.” Nines blinked once, and his once blue eyes were like Connor’s brown ones. “This should help.” He touched fingers to his android model on his vest and changed the numbers from RK900 to RK800.

“This is so cursed,” Gavin said. “I hate it.”

“Thank you, I knew you would,” Nines replied.

Connor took a long look at Nines as he walked. “You look pretty convincing, but you still have an intimidating look.”

“That is not something I can help,” Nines replied.

“Okay, everyone shut up,” Tom said as the ground beneath their feet transitioned from gravel to dirt. “We don’t want to be loud and get attention to ourselves.”

“Okay,” Gavin said, lowering his voice.

No one said anything else after that, and all that they could hear was the muffled sounds of feet hitting dirt, with an occasional crunch from a random clump of gravel or a leaf. They walked until eventually reaching the end of the trail, and more specifically, a road.

“There’s a car,” Tom said, nodding towards a nearby commodore with tinted windows. “One of the windows is slightly down too, let’s hope I can get this baby open without someone asking what we’re doing.”

“Which is carjacking,” Connor said.

“Yeah, no shit,” Gavin said.

“I do not believe I have to say this to a grown man, but Gavin, behave,” Nines said sternly.

“Damn, okay then dad,” Gavin sneered.

“You are missing two letters at the end of that word.”

“Not this shit again!”

“I do not know what you’re talking about,” Nines said, rounding his eyes innocently as he looked at Gavin.

“Ew, stop, you look too much like Connor,” Gavin said with disgust.

Connor gave Gavin a hurt look.

“Look at what you have done. You have made him upset.” Nines set his hands on Connor’s shoulders.

“Can you stop acting like idiots and walk to the goddamn car?” Tom cut in.

“Yes, I agree,” Nines said, removing his hands from Connor. Tom scoffed and started walking to the car, and Gavin silently rolled his eyes as they all began to follow him again. They were approaching a 2010 model silver commodore car.

“That’s a pretty old model, I wonder if I’ll figure out how to drive it,” Gavin said. “I should, hopefully. I’ve driven a similar car before.”

“Well I hope ya do, because this is looking like our best option,” Tom said as he approached the car. He jammed the crowbar into the window of the passenger seat, the window which was slightly open, and jiggled it around until the window completely dropped down, receding to wherever windows go when you move them.

“Would you download a car?” Gavin asked whilst watching. He couldn't help himself.

“Gavin, what?” Nines asked.

“Never mind.”

“Shut up,” Tom said. He unlocked the car and opened the door, then got into it and leaned over. He unlocked the drivers side then got out of the car. “Stay there while I hotwire this bitch. There’s nothing rotten or anything in here, so we’re all good.”

“Oddly specific, but okay? Thanks?” Gavin said.

As Tom got to work, Gavin turned and looked at Connor and Nines. “You two look so alike yet so different. I don’t know how much eye colour could matter.”

“It usually doesn’t,” Nines said. “My usual eye colour is just so striking that it could be a key identifier compared to RK800s.”

“You do be right though,” Gavin said. “Okay, anyways, let’s be quiet good boys.”

“Do not ever say that ever again,” Nines said.

“He has a point,” Connor said.

Gavin was about to speak when he heard a spluttering come from the car, which captured the attention of all three of them.

“And she’s alive!” Tom said, exiting the car. “Grabbed the right fuel too. Lucky me.” He went to the side and poured in all of the fuel from the bottle before walking over to Gavin. “Okay, pay up.”

Nines looked at Gavin with a frown. “What does he mean?”

“You didn’t think I’d haul my ass out into danger for nothing, did ya?” Tom asked. He put out his hand. “Pay up, Gavin.”

Gavin sighed and dug into his pockets. He fished out and handed Tom a packet of rolled cigarettes and a lighter. Tom smirked with satisfaction and walked away.

“Gavin, what did you sacrifice for this?” Nines demanded.

“Two days of food,” Gavin said as if it was nothing. “But it’s all good! It’s not like I haven’t gone without food for longer.”

“Gavin, you didn’t have to do this,” Nines said with a worried look. “Never starve yourself, Gavin. Not for this. Not for me.”

“What other choice did I have?” Gavin asked as he looked into Nines’ eyes.

Nines just sighed and shook his head. “Let’s just go, we don’t know if this car is reliable,” he said, “But we are certainly talking about this later.”

“Whatever,” Gavin said. He walked around the side of the car and got into the driver’s seat. “Connor, Nines, you should both get in the back since this window is open,” Gavin said.

“Can’t you just close it?” Nines asked as he walked around to the passenger side. Gavin tried the button out, and the window closed.

“... Never mind. Get in here,” Gavin said. 

Nines rode shotgun whilst Connor got into the back seat behind Nines. Gavin put his foot to the accelerator which just made the car speed forward a few feet.

“Fuck, okay,” Gavin mumbled and took a deep breath. “Gotta remember, gotta remember…”

Gavin slowly got himself adjusted to driving in of itself, and more so the car that he was in. He quickly got the hang of it. The car did not run smoothly but it was better than walking or taking public transport.

“So, anyone know how to get into the main city?” Gavin asked. “I think I can get to Kamski’s from there.”

“I have a GPS, do you not recall? I can direct you the quickest route the whole way there,” Nines said.

“Yeah, okay, maybe you should drive,” Gavin said.

“It is best if you do. I have never driven a car before,” Nines said, “And I do not wish to learn now.”

“But you can learn shit so easily!”

“It could potentially disturb my phantom code with such a shift. I do not want to risk that.”

“Fuck… Okay,” Gavin mumbled, tightening his grip on the wheel. “Nines, show me the way.”

With the skilled directions from Nines, Gavin drove the car without any issues through the city of Detroit. They had to drive past the institution where Gavin had lived for those hellish two years of his life, and he allowed himself to burst into tears as they drove past and then stopped at a red light right beside it. He could not suppress the memories and feelings suddenly overwhelming him.

Nines put his hand on Gavin’s knee, knowing just how horrible these feelings were for him. He massaged it softly.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Nines said softly. “We are not going any closer to this place, okay? Just keep looking at the road.”

Gavin nodded, and he took a moment to close his eyes, knowing that Connor would be looking at the lights to inform him when to drive again. He felt Nines’ hand on his cheek, gently rubbing away the tears. He sniffled and leaned into the touch.

“I love you,” Gavin mumbled. “I hoped I’d never have to see that stupid place again.”

“I love you too,” Nines said softly. “And, I know.” He kissed Gavin on the temple. “But I’m right here, okay? This was the best route to take, and my programming is bad at giving me detours. I would never let you suffer on purpose.”

“I didn’t think your programming could be bad at anything,” Gavin croaked.

“Well, there are some flaws to every being. Even ones made to be perfect.”

“Green,” Connor said.

Gavin opened his eyes and began to drive again. He took a deep breath as he did so, and he concentrated on the road and other drivers around him to suppress another glance at the house of nightmares he was once in. That was the past, but… The past was something that Gavin couldn’t let go of easily. And that even goes when it comes to his brother, Elijah Kasmki.

I hope that this goes well, Gavin thought. Otherwise we are fucked.


	30. Chapter Thirty

The drive to Elijah’s house, due to the amount of traffic and the general distance between the two locations the group are travelling from and to, took around half an hour until Gavin had reached familiar streets. He chewed on his lip, a troubled look on his face as he got closer and closer to their quite daunting destination.

“Are you alright?” Nines asked, despite having a pretty good guess on what was on Gavin’s mind.

“Yeah, no, yes, maybe, I… Fuck,” Gavin sighed. “It has been a while since I’ve seen Elijah, and I don’t think I could forgive him for letting our world become distorted and broken like this for greed. I can’t forgive him, but… It’s not impossible to imagine he would be capable of such a thing. Elijah has always been greedy, and cunning as fuck.”

“Today will go fine, I will be by your side the entire time,” Nines said. “I will not let you out of my sight.”

“Alright,” Gavin mumbled. He glanced at Nines for a fraction of a second. “You look so strange, looking like Connor and shit.”

“It is imperative, we have to take necessary measures to ensure a safe arrival at your brother’s mansion. This car could have, or still may possibly, break down,” Nines said. “I cannot risk looking like my usual self as I am a unique model.”

“Wasn’t Connor like that too? There was one of him as an android detective, that’s it,” Gavin said.

“I am the only RK900 model android that was ever made. There are no more of me existing anywhere.”

“That’s a bit dumb, but then again, it would be weird as hell if there was more than one of you. You looking like Connor is whack enough.”

“Yes, you have already stated that,” Nines said.

Gavin didn’t respond as he focused more than he already was on the road ahead of him. He thrummed his fingers against the wheel in a swift paced rhythm, then he took a deep breath in through his nose.

“I wanna die,” he mumbled, before saying louder, “Not literally, don't worry about me. I just don’t want to see Elijah, but I know I have to.”

"You telling me not to worry has made me experience some worry," Nines replied. 

"Well, don't," Gavin said. "Have I ever told you that you are gay?"

"You have told me countless times," Nines answered.

"You're an android, I'm sure you can count the times I have told you."

"I can, but I do not want to."

"Okay, valid," Gavin said.

He turned into a street called Merrywood and felt the pit in his stomach grow. They were getting close. He put on the blinker to turn into Oxlade Road when Nines suddenly corrected, "Keep going to Ash Crescent." Gavin gave Nines a hasty, questioning glance, but then understood once he got a glimpse of his expression. Nines was just as nervous as Gavin was.

Gavin turned off the blinker and continued going forward. Not even Connor had said anything about the incorrect instruction that Nines gave Gavin, even though he had visited Elijah Kamski once before and therefore would know where to go.

Gavin entered Ash Crescent where he drove along the road under the speed limit. With every passing second, they were getting closer to the place where Nines’ fate will be determined. Closer to the place where the man that Gavin hated the most lived.

Finally, at the end of the street, he turned into the final road before reaching the house - Fuge Lane. A long, winding road that always seemed to be covered in frost, and Gavin presumed it was like that so it could match Elijah Kamski’s heart. There always seemed to be an aura of coldness around him that could make any completely non-deviant android shudder.

Gavin’s hands were trembling as he gripped the wheel. He will finally be face to face with Elijah Kamski after so long. What would he feel when he sees him? Sorrow? Impeccable rage? Whatever it was, Gavin was about to find out. 

Gavin felt a hand on his own, and he slowed down to look at Nines quickly and give him a smile. A smile of hope, and of care, and of absolute terror.

“I love you,” Gavin said as he looked back at the road.

Nines moved his hand away. “I love you too.”

“Today will go good, okay?” Connor chimed in. “Gavin, just don’t hurt Elijah.”

“I wasn’t planning on hurting him,” Gavin said. “I’ll push back my anger as much as I can.”

“I cannot wait to see you attempt that,” Nines said.

“Haha cool! Perish.”

Gavin drove down the road and slowed to what was almost a complete halt as Elijah’s large house loomed into view. It had such an abstract and quite generally strange design that confused Gavin every time he looked at it - which wasn’t very many times, to be completely fair.

He pulled up beside the house and took a deep breath. He couldn’t bring himself to open his door and get out of the car. “I can’t go yet,” he said with a slightly quivering voice.

"That's completely fine," Nines replied, setting his hand on Gavin's. "Take all the time that you need, baby boy."

Gavin didn't say anything. He gave himself around half of a minute before deciding that he was inconveniencing the androids, and he sat up and undid his seatbelt. Gavin got out of the car, and Connor and Nines did the same thing.

"I'm surprised he doesn't seem to have any guards," Gavin commented as he stared at Elijah's mansion.

"Why would he?" Nines asked, standing next to Gavin and staring at the building. "He has no need for security anymore. Androids adore him."

"Exactly," Gavin said. "Have you ever seen fangirls? They're scary."

"I don't believe I have not met a fangirl, I presume that they are quite common," Nines replied.

"Okay," Gavin said. “I mean, they are. Probably not anymore though, how nice.” 

No one made any further comments or motions. After a stretch of silence that was longer than it needed to be, Gavin said, “Welp, we can’t stand out in the cold forever. Come on, gays.”

“I am not gay,” Connor replied.

“Then perish,” Gavin said. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. In this household we love and support bi aceromantics or whatever you are.”

“Asexual, questioning biromantic or aromantic…”

“It’s Nerf or nothing,” Gavin whispered under his breath. “Forward we reign, sandwich uncles.”

“What?” Nines asked.

“Oh, just a meme from like… 2025, or something.”

No one else said anything, but instead of allowing another uncomfortable period of nothing being said, Gavin began to finally walk towards Elijah's strangely molded mansion. A soft layer of snow crunched beneath Gavin’s feet. Snowfall wouldn’t be due for at least another week, at least not in Detroit. Is the snow all fake, or is it here to match Elijah’s frozen heart? Maybe even a bad omen? I guess that only time can tell…

Gavin dismissed the thought with a small flick of his head and manual pushing of the thoughts back into the corner of his mind. The motion Gavin made with his head got him a strange look from Connor.

They made it to the door where Gavin stepped forward and rang the doorbell. They were met with silence, and then after around twenty seconds just as Gavin was about to ring the doorbell again, the door opened. Appearing in front of Gavin and his two identical android opinions was the sweet face of a Chloe model.

“I’m honestly shocked he’d have her open the door as if no shit is up in the world, even if he is so high and mighty,” Gavin commented with a cold laugh to his companions then looking at Chloe. “Hey. Is the big man Elijahh Kamski around?”

“Yes, he is.” She looked over Gavin’s shoulder and at Connor. “It’s the RK800 who almost shot my sister in front of me, but didn’t because Hank ripped the gun out of his hands.”

Gavin glanced over his shoulder at Connor, whose face had dropped and LED had gone red. 

“What the hell is she talking about?” Gavin asked gruffly.

“Drop the topic,” Nines answered for Connor. “He clearly does not wish about it.”

Chloe looked back at Gavin and smiled her utterly perfect, nearly creepy smile. “What can I do for you?”

“I need to see Elijah, I thought I made that clear.”

“Yes, but what is the purpose of your visit?”

“Are you kidding me?” Gavin asked, quickly losing his patience. “I need to see Elijah Kamski! There isn't anything more to it, I am his brother for fuck’s sake!”

“If that is so, then what was Elijah’s favourite dessert as a child?” Chloe asked.

“Are you fucking- ugh, whatever. He liked sweet but simple things. Vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce always did it for him. Why did you have to ask?”

“I apologise,” Chloe replied, “I had to be sure that you were telling the truth and not an android pretending to be Gavin.”

Right… My outfit.

“Can’t you just scan me or whatever? Was this necessary?” Gavin asked.

“Many android models, including myself, do not have those abilities.

Huh… The more you know. Probably why I’ve been able to exist without death in this world for so long.

“So can I come in or not?” Gavin asked.

“Yes. Come inside and wait here, I will get Elijah.” Chloe opened the door and the group of three walked inside. Chloe smiled at them and left into another room, leaving Gavin, Nines, and Connor standing alone together.

“I’m fucking nervous as all fuck,” Gavin said, shaking out his arm.

“As am I,” Nines said. “But things will be alright, I promise.”

Nines reached out and grabbed Gavin’s hand.

“I agree, I’m scared bu- oh nevermind, you were having a gay moment,” Connor said.

Gavin laughed. “Yeah, we have a gay moment.” He looked at Connor with a grin. “I thought you were used to this by now, you’ve watched us being gay since our relationship started.”

“I do expect it, but I also don't? I don’t know,” Connor replied.

“Gavin and I have a large variety of homosexual tendancies, which come with desires we often act upon,” Nines said.

“Thank you for sharing, please never say something like that again,” Connor replied.

A door opened and Chloe stepped back into the room, smiling like always. That fucking creepy ass smile that Gavin hated for no reason for no other reason than it seemed too nice, because obviously, people cannot have nice things.

“Elijah will see you now.”

“Cool,” Gavin said. “So do we just follow you, or…?”

“Yes, come with me.” Chloe replied. She disappeared into the other room with the guests following closely behind her. Chloe led them into what appeared to be a living room. Black leather couches lined the wall with coffee tables in front of them, colourful paintings lined the wall which gave the room a splash of colour, a fireplace with a crackling fire was in a wall with a HDTV hanging above it.

“Elijah will be out in a moment. Please, take a seat,” Chloe said before walking away and disappearing into another room.

There was a pit in Gavin’s stomach. He wasn’t sure whether it was from fear or just a general bad gut feeling, but it was way too late to turn back now. He sat down on one of the leather couches and Nines and Connor flanked him on either side. Nines put his hand on Gavin and they interlaced their fingers.

The door on the far end of the room opened. Gavin looked to it as it opened slower than necessary, probably for the effect that Elijah always somehow knew that he had. Gavin gripped Nines’ hand tighter, and felt his own trembling. Gavin was about to see his brother. Someone who he had not seen in years.

A head peeked into the room. It was just a Chloe android. She looked at the three and closed the door again, leaving Gavin, Nines, and Connor alone again.

“Where could Elijah be?” Connor asked out loud. Gavin’s bad feeling was making him feel sick at this point.

“He should be out soon,” Nines replied. He then gave Gavin a kiss on the cheek and said, “I love you. This will go well, okay?”

Gavin looked at Nines and nodded. He opened his mouth to reply.

Then everything went dark.


	31. Chapter Thirty-One

Gavin felt panic flood through him. Fuck, I knew I should have never trusted Elijah! He stood up as he felt Nines’ hand slip away from him.

“Nines!”

Gavin lashed out his hand blindly and hit someone in some part of the body. He did not know who or where, but after that movement, he felt something hit his skull and fell unconscious.

Gavin woke up. He didn’t know how long he was out for, but he could feel something cold on his skull which was settled upon a place where he had a splitting headache. He groaned as he opened his eyes, then shut them again due to how bright the room was. He heard some voices talking, but they sounded distant.

Gavin opened his eyes again, slowly this time around as the unfiltered light hit his field of vision. He sat up sluggishly and addressed his surroundings as his hand pressed against the ice pack against his skull. He was in the same room, on that same couch. Nearby were two Chloe androids, speaking amongst themselves quietly. 

Wait. Where’s…

Gavin glanced around, suddenly frantic. “Nines? Connor? Where are you!?” He sat up.

The Chloes looked over at him.

“Sit down,” one of them said. “Elijah will be with you shortly.”

“You said that before you took my companions away,” Gavin hissed back.

“The RK800 guards had to be removed from the room in order to keep Elijah safe.”

RK800 guards? No, no, that’s all wrong!

“One of them is an RK900!” Gavin protested.

“Impossible,” the other said. “They are both clearly RK800s. They’re fine.Now sit down, you took a harsh hit to the head.

Gavin rolled his eyes and reluctantly sat down again, knowing that there was no other option. “Whatever. Just bring Elijah here, that fucker…”

Both of the Chloes stared at Gavin with emotionless eyes before turning around and leaving the room. Gavin threw the ice pack to another side of the couch.

Fuck, is the only word that was echoing throughout Gavin’s brain.

The lights began to dim, and Gavin groaned loudly. “Not this bullshit again, holy fuck, give it a rest. You already did it once.”

The lights dimmed almost all the way to jet black, but not quite. Suddenly, the door slammed open and a spotlight shone down. There stood Elijah, dressed up nicely in a fancy ass suit and wearing his usual stupid fuck smile.

“Elijah,” Gavin growled. Elijah never said the first word.

“It has been a while, Gavin.”

“Clearly.”

“How are things?” Elijah asked.

“Cut the crap, you know how everything is for me,” Gavin said, standing up and facing Elijah. “You fucked up the world and the lives of millions of people.”

Elijah did that stupid head tilt of his accompanied by silence. The head tilt of what was probably mock inquisitivity, a piquing interest in what was being said. He glanced over his shoulder and flicked his hand upwards, and the lights turned completely back on again, flooding out the spotlight. Elijah looked back over at Gavin and strode towards him until they were only a few feet apart.

“At some point in time, Gavin, an android uprising was due to happen,” Elijah said. “Why would I decide to be a victim when I know I could be safe while also changing history forever?”

“You screwed everyone over!” Gavin yelled. “You killed so many people, there would be less than ten thousand left easily! I-I don’t know if only America was taken over, or Canada or the entire fucking world, but it does not matter! You could have saved so many lives but you didn’t! You let Markus destroy everything!”

“You’re painting me as the bad guy when I did nothing wrong,” Elijah said. “The human race did this to itself. Not everyone would accept androids as their own people, and so those people posed a threat that the androids had to erase. It’s as simple as that.”

“No it’s not. You know what you did was wrong. You just don’t want to acknowledge you caused the death of millions.”

“That was Markus and his army, Gavin. That wasn’t me,” Elijah replied.

He makes it sound so simple, that fuckwit. He doesn’t know how much I want to kill him right here and now.

“Where are they? Where are Connor and Nines?”

Elijah tilted his head. “How did you survive?” he asked, avoiding Gavin’s question.

“Answer me!”

“Answer me first.”

“Fuck you,” Gavin mumbled. “Nines gave some order to save me. I don’t know why and I probably never will.”

“Mhm. Okay. Those two RK800s you came here with - what are their names? Sure, one may be a Connor, but the only Nines I know of is an RK900.”

“He is an RK900, you fuckass! He’s just in a disguise!”

Elijah chuckled. “As if you expect me to believe that. You came here with two RK800 guards, and I’m going to guess that you innocently forgot how I’m looking for two RK800s to experiment on?”

Gavin’s face dropped. “W-What?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know, Gavin. I know you came here to turn them in to exchange them for whatever you want from me. So what do you want? Immunity? A house?”

“I came here to ask if you could fix Nines, and RK900,” Gavin replied. “He has some sort of phantom code which is controlling him and turning him into a killing machine. You have to fix him, please.”

“Okay, I’ll humour you,” Elijah said. “Say those two androids are your friends, and one is and RK900 who needs fixing, what’s in it for me?”

Oh fuck.

“U-Uh…”

Elijah’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “You came in here with no leverage? That was not a smart move.”

“Just, look! He is an RK900 who needs fixing, so fix him!” Gavin snapped.

“You brought my one and only RK900 back home to me,” Kamski mumbled. He raised his chin and looked at Gavin with belittlement in his eyes. “Okay then, Gavin. Since you have nothing to offer me, how about we strike a deal? You can spend a night alone with my experiments in your amusing little android outfit and see if they realise you’re human or not. They don’t have the ability to scan, which makes your part easier.”

“Okay so, I do that, you’ll fix Nines?” Gavin asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

Elijah laughed a singular, mocking laugh. “No. You had the audacity to come up and enter my house, knowing damn well that I am the only human who should be alive, and that I could hand you in to Markus myself. You spend a night alone with my experiments, and I’ll let you escape and never tell anyone you were here.”

Gavin’s face dropped. “No. No way. I’m going.”

“You can, but will you really leave without Connor and Nines? Your beloved companions?” Elijah asked.

That fucker…

“Fine. What happens if your experiments find out I’m not an android?” Gavin asked.

“They’ll rip you to shreds,” Elijah said simply.

“I hate you so much, Elijah.”

“I know, Gavin. I know.”

“Show me to Nines and Connor, I need to make sure they’re okay before I agree to anything,” Gavin said sharply.

“Sure. On the way, there will be one more person you will be meeting,” Elijah said.

“Who?”

“His name is Simon. He is like Markus’ right hand man, but don’t worry, he won’t let Markus know that you were ever here. Simon knows that would be good for either of us. Besides, he is here to check on my experiments, and if he knows you will become my little experiment for the night, he definitely won’t say anything.”

“Okay,” Gavin said.

“You wear that out in society?” Elijah asked.

“Yeah…”

“Okay. Get rid of that makeup and I’ll give you some clothes, only temporarily.”

Now that confused Gavin. He furrowed his eyebrows. “Uh… Why?”

“If you show Simon what you look like in that getup, he’ll know what to look for when searching for humans, particularly you,” Elijah said. “There’s makeup here somewhere, once you meet him I can get one of my Chloes to fix you right back up.”

“So there is a heart buried under all that mess,” Gavin said. “You don’t think I’m going to die, do you?”

“You very well could, Gavin. Things have always been unpredictable with you. I’m just trying to think for you in case you survive.”

“You confuse the fuck out of me.”

Elijah huffed with amusement. “Oh, I know. Follow me, Gavin. Oh, and any funny business like trying to attack me or damaging any of my androids beyond repair, you are dead.”

“Okay… Okay. Lead the way, Elijah.”

Gavin followed Elijah as he led him out of the room. Gavin’s skin was seething with rage, and beneath those frying emotions, there was cold fear as well. Gavin could die. And who knows what will happen to Nines and Connor if he does?

Elijah walked to a bedroom, a guest one presumably. For what guest? Gavin asked himself silently as he followed Elijah. “Wash the makeup off in the bathroom, this room is an ensuite,” Elijah said before taking some clothes out of the closet and throwing them at Gavin.

Gavin pulled them off and looked at their sizes. “You remember my clothing size…”

“I lived with you for years, and I bought you clothes too. It’s hard to forget.”

“Maybe so, but this is not something people would usually remember.”

I wonder if he still cares.

Gavin shook his head. No. He wouldn’t do this to me, and he has hurt me too many times. Elijah Kamski lost his heart years ago.

Elijah left and Gavin closed the door before changing into the clothes - a black polo shirt and dark grey shorts. Simple outfit that would most certainly do the trick. He walked into the bathroom of the ensuite and washed off all of the makeup.

“Damn it, I’m not hot anymore,” Gavin said to himself. He then laughed. “I’m an idiot. I never was hot to begin with, not even in makeup.”

Gavin left the room and quickly found Elijah again, mostly because he was waiting outside of the door.

“Follow,” Elijah instructed curtly.

“Okay.”

Gavin and Elijah went towards the back of the large house where they entered a laboratory’s hallway. In front of them were glass cages with bars behind the glass. Some of them were empty but others had androids inside of them - some looked normal, while others were missing body parts, had extra limbs, looked completely disarrayed, and just had a general creepy vibe. Memories of the tunnel flashed throughout Gavin’s mind, and without meaning to, he started shaking.

Elijah walked to the far right side of the corridor and Gavin followed him, trying his best not to break into tears. It was extremely difficult for Gavin to keep reign of his emotions when he had to be close to a source of trauma for him, and he knew all to well that spending a night with these things would be a lot worse for him.

Standing in front of the very last cage was a singular android with blond hair. He was peering inside with an unreadable look in his eyes.

“That must be Simon,” Gavin said to himself out loud.

“It is,” Elijah confirmed.

Gavin picked up his pace. When he was closer, he noticed that two very familiar androids were behind the glass, and he broke into a sprint. Simon’s head raised in surprise and when Gavin was in front of the cage, Simon decided he was too close. He drew his gun and pointed it at Gavin’s head. Gavin froze and stared at Simon. He heard pounding on the glass, and Gavin looked at the cage to see Nines staring at him with wide eyes. He was afraid that Gavin would be shot and hated himself for not being there to protect him. The sight of Nines in a cage made Gavin tear up further.

Gavin raised his hands and looked back at Simon.

“Who are you?” Simon demanded.

“He’s with me, put the gun down,” Elijah said, walking up to Gavin’s side.

“No human is meant to be alive,” Simon said, putting his gun back in his place.

“Yes, but this one is going to be an experiment. I’m going to send him in with some of the experiments to see if they realise he’s human or not.”

“He’s your brother,” Simon said. “He looked familiar. Gavin Reed, isn’t it? How come he’s alive? All that I know is that he escaped from a facility.”

“Don’t tell Markus,” Elijah said, dodging the question. “He will be an important asset in seeing how well these experiments do with humans, and if they can identify them.”

“Okay, I won’t. Tell me how it goes tomorrow,” Simon said before walking past them and down the hallway.

Once he was gone, Gavin turned to the cage. “Nines…”

Elijah pressed a button to the side of the cage separating it from the next one. Part of the glass and the bars lowered.

“Try to escape and I will shoot you,” Elijah said plainly. “You don’t have long.”

Gavin ran inside of the cell and pulled Nines into a huge hug. He buried his face into his shoulder and started helplessly sobbing.

“I didn’t know what happened to you, I, I thought he killed you,” Gavin croaked. “You were gone, you…”

Nines began to rub Gavin’s back. “Hey, hey, it’s okay now, Gavin. “I’m here, I’m safe, and so are you. Okay? We’re both okay.”

Connor walked over and looked at Gavin. “Are you okay?”

Gavin looked up at Connor and pulled him into the hug as well.

“Nines, Connor, listen to me,” Gavin whispered so Elijah couldn’t hear. “If I am not alive tomorrow, break out and run.”

“Gavin, what-”

Gavin spoke louder whilst breaking the hug, “So, Elijah offered for me to spend a night with experiments, and in exchange, we can get out of here.”

“What about fixing me?” Nines asked.

“He won’t do it. We didn’t bring anything he wants.”

“... Except me,” Connor said quietly.

“Connor-”

“Gavin, I know that Elijah wants RK800 androids. I could give myself to him,” Connor said. “Then you two can walk free.”

“No fucking way, Connor, that will make sure you are fucked,” Gavin said sharply. “If I do this, there is a chance that we can all get out.”

Nines’ eyes began to tear up. “Gavin… You could die.”

“I know.”

Nines pulled Gavin into his arms again. “You’re facing some of your trauma head on for a whole night with the possibility that you may die. You’re so brave. You have changed, Gavin, and for the better.” He kissed Gavin on the temple.

Gavin looked up at Nines. “Hey, it’s okay to cry,” he said softly.

Right on cue, Nines’ synthetic tears streamed down his cheeks. It hurt Gavin so badly to see Nines crying, it was like a dagger twisting around in his heart. Gavin started crying as well as he stared at his boyfriend.

“Stay alive, please,” Nines croaked.

“I’ll try.”

Nines’ closed his eyes and cried harder, but silently. Gavin sniffled and looked at Connor, who had misty eyes as well.

“Stay safe, Connor,” Gavin said before looking back at Nines. “I love you so much, Nines.”

Gavin smashed his lips against Nines’, and as they engaged in a messy kiss, tears streamed from their cheeks. When Gavin pulled away to breathe, he said again, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Nines sniffled and kissed Gavin on the nose. “Come back to me tomorrow.”

“I’ll try.”

Gavin walked back out of the cage, casting one more glance over his shoulder. He really was doing this.

“Take me to Chloe,” Gavin rasped.

“Gavin-”

“Don’t talk to me.”

Elijah nodded silently, and he led Gavin away to get his makeup done.

Two Chloes fixed up Gavin’s face with a fresh layer of makeup to cover up his many imperfections. No one spoke during it. When one was working on Gavin’s nose scar, he spoke.

“Why does Elijah want to send me to what could be my death?” Gavin asked.

“Elijah never does anything without any benefit for himself,” Chloe replied. “Why should he? He needed a subject for a new experiment idea, and you walked right in and practically handed yourself to him.”

Gavin sighed and he didn’t speak any more.

Once Gavin’s face was perfect, Elijah led him back to his laboratory. He led Gavin past the cages on the left of the hallway and to another room. Elijah took Gavin to yet another room. He stopped at the door.

“This is it. Good luck.”

“What, no cage?” Gavin asked.

“You’ll be in a room with them. It is monitored by cameras which have microphones.” Elijah leaned over and unlocked the room with a keycard. “Good luck.”

Gavin took a deep breath and stepped into the room of horrors.


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two

_ Stay alive, Gavin. Stay alive. _

_ Stay alive, please. _

The door shut behind Gavin. He stared into the shadows of the barely lit room - he couldn’t see anything, anyone. A dusty scent hit his nose, mixed in with what smells like sour thirium of some sort. The swamping darkness cloaking the room hid Gavin's company, making them unseeable, like a black swan on the darkest lake during a moonless night.

_ Where are they? _

Gavin began to hope that he was alone after all, but he knew that was a reach. There was no way Elijah would let him out of his promise this easily, especially considering Gavin was doing this for Kamski's experimentation. He looked down and straightened up his spine before brushing a spec of dust off of his android coat. 

“Maybe I’m alone,” Gavin mumbled to himself.

“ _ You’re never alone _ .”

A voice came from above scared the absolute shit out of Gavin, and he darted forward with a shrill yelp of fear. He looked up to see an android with half a face and an arm coming out from the centre of its chest dangling from the ceiling and looking at him creepily. He could barely make out the figure due to the lack of light in the room, but the dimmed bulbs were enough to make out the figure. At the sight of it, horrible memories started to invade Gavin's mind - memories of the tunnel. It took his all to not drop to his knees and just  _ panic. _

“Don’t be scared, friend!” it said, voice slightly distorted.

_ Fuck this. Fuck this. Fuck this. Fuuuuuck thiiiiis. _

“I am  _ not _ your friend,” Gavin said coldly, a slight tremble in the middle of his words.

“All androids that come in here want to be friends.”

_ For fuck’s sake! I gotta befriend this fuck to not be found out? Ugh… there's not much of a choice. _

Gavin formed himself to push back his immense fear, at least so it wouldn't show on his surface. He forced a smile. "Ah, heh, yes, of course…"

"It's such a shame that mister Kamski hasn't brightened our lights for tonight," the android said. "He would usually have that done by now."

_ Elijah has purposefully left the lights low? Maybe there's a heart in there after all. _

"Were going to have fun tonight, friend! Tell me, what is your name?" The mutant asked.

"Er, Gavin," Gavin replied, who did you think it would be?

"Er Gavin? That's a strange name!"

"It's Gavin. I hesitated."

"Why would you hesitate, Gavin?" the android asked. "Androids don't hesitate."

_ Not a deviant, isn't it? Shit. Elijah, what did you do? How did you code it? _

"This one does. It's a part of my coding to act more human."

Gavin watched the android detach itself from the ceiling after he spoke, and it dropped down on it's leg.

"Well, Gavin, we are all looking forward to getting to know you tonight! Now come with me."

Before Gavin could reply, three hands grabbed onto him. He forced himself to not kick or yelp as the android started dragging him to another part of the room.

***

Nines was pacing inside his cage. He was trying his best to remain calm, but how could he when he knew that his boyfriend was trapped alone with murdering machines?

"He'll be alright," Connor said, as if he could read Nines' thoughts. Nines stopped pacing and looked over at Connor.

"I am just nervous. I know Gavin, yet... I do not know if he can hold up this act all night."

"He should be fine," Connor said.

"But Connor, he's  _ Gavin _ ," Nines said. "He is unpredictable. There's no way to be sure if he'll be okay."

"Don't worry about it, Nines," Connor said, putting his hand on Nines' shoulder. "You have to have faith in Gavin."

"Right." Nines looked away from Connor and out of his cage. "In this house, Elijah probably has unlimited food and thirium, while back at Verum not everyone gets a good portion of their rations."

"It's a shame we can't get it," Connor said.

Nines looked back over at Connor. "Not unless we convince Elijah to let us out."

"Do you really think he'd agree?"

"There's only one way to find out."

***

Gavin was thrown onto the floor in a corner, and as he was, the lights became brighter.  _ Damn it, Elijah! _

The android looked up. “Tonight, master didn’t turn on the lights to the complete brightness,” it mused. 

“Okay.” Gavin was quick to change the subject so it didn’t try to connect that with his presence. “What is your name?”

“My name is 7-G 4763251, but it is easier to call me Seven.”

“Well, okay, Seven, my name is G-”  _ Nope. Human name wouldn’t be a great move.  _ “- Er, GV200.”

“Welcome, GV200, we are going to be the best of friends! Our other friends are on the way, look around!”

Gavin looked up and saw multiple androids crawling and dragging themselves across the floor towards him. He froze up and his eyes widened as he stared at them with wide eyes. “I-I…”

“You’re not afraid of our friends, are you?” Seven asked, looking at Gavin as the other mutants began to chant.

“ _ New friend, new friend, new friend…” _

The first wave reached Gavin and stroked his legs and arms, and one hauled itself up onto his lap. Gavin forced himself to not flinch at the touch as he stared at the mutant in front of him. Its body was grey, and its where its eyes were meant to be were nothing but black sockets with thirium tears streaming down its cheeks.

“How do you see?” Gavin choked out.

“I have minimal vision left,” it responded. Its voice was silky smooth, like a feather with honey trickled gently over it. It leaned in closer. “You seem  _ different _ . Let’s play some games, GV200.”

_ I didn’t tell this one my name…  _ Gavin thought.

_ What have I gotten myself into? _

***

“Get over here, Kamski!” Nines yelled, reaching through the bars and slamming his fists against the thick class. His face was hardened by anger, a rage coursing through Nines that packed power into his punch.

Connor looked at Nines cautiously and took a step back. “Nines, are you feeling alright? You aren’t being overpowered by the virus, are you?”

Nines stopped and looked at Connor, his face softening as he did so. “No, no, I’m quite alright, Connor. I am just enraged that Kamski is endangering Gavin’s life, and I’m taking out that anger on the glass.”

“I see,” Connor replied. “Keep doing it. If you keep on causing a big racket, hopefully it’ll draw Elijah close to us soon.”

“That’s the plan,” Nines replied before continuing to pound his fists against the glass. “Come on Elijah, get over here! I know you can hear me! Come  _ on _ !”

Nines saw a shadow getting closer, and he straightened up, but it was just a Chloe model. He huffed and slumped before straightening his spine again. “Chloe, come here,” he said.

She looked up. She heard him.

“Chloe, come here,” Nines repeated.

Chloe approached the glass with clear hesitance. “What do you need, RK900?” she asked.

“I need to speak with Elijah,” Nines answered.

“Okay. I’ll get him.” She turned and hurried away, as if afraid that Nines would somehow attack her, even with the metal bars and the glass in the way.

“It would usually be Gavin resorting to antics such as making a lot of noise, but it is times like these that we should idolise him,” Nines said. “I can’t wait to get him back. If Gavin doesn’t survive the night, I’ll never forgive Elijah. I’ll never forgive  _ myself _ .”

Against his will, Nines’ eyes filled up with synthetic tears. They may not technically be true tears, but the emotions that had caused them were undeniably real. Connor silently walked up to Nines and wrapped his arms around him, offering his brotherly figure comfort.

“He’ll get out of there, Nines,” Connor said. “I know it Gavin may be a rat, but he’s smart.”

“I hope he’s smart enough.” Nines took a deep breath - yes, breathing was fake, but it still helped his deviated calm self - and gently removed Connor’s arms from his own body, breaking the hug. 

“What do you want, RK900?”

Elijah Kamski’s muffled voice caught Nines’ attention, and he raised his head and looked over at his creator. “Elijah. We wanted to know if we could be let out. We are not prisoners, are we? We are simply waiting for Gavin to complete his night with your mutant- oh, my apologies, I meant experimental androids. I wanted to see if we could have our own room for the night. This cage is unsettling and makes me feel like we are being put down to the level of the other androids here. We shouldn’t be imprisoned. Connor and I are in perfectly good condition, and some of your advanced ever androids, but of course you know that.”

Elijah’s expression turned into one of consideration, and then deep pondering, as if he was trying to think of every outcome to allowing the androids to stay in one of his guest rooms.

“Okay. I’ll let you stay in a guest bedroom,” Elijah eventually agreed, “But if you try to go rescue Gavin, believe me when I say  _ it won’t go well _ . It may possibly just end up in his death if you try.” Elijah’s threat sent a shiver up Nines’ spine. No, not threat -  _ promise. _

“We would never dream of betraying your trust, Elijah,” Nines replied coolly.

“Good. Let’s hope you live up to that promise.” Elijah tilted his head and a faint smirk rose to his lips. He disappeared from Nines’ view, and not longer after he did, half of the bars disconnected from the rest as the floor opened up. Nines and Connor watched as the floor swallowed the centre section of the bars that were previously surrounding them. Elijah went to the door and opened it, and with that, Nines and Connor walked free.

“Lead us to where we can stay,” Nines said.

He had the urge to attack Elijah, but he held back. He wouldn’t attack with Simon and the Chloe androids still somewhere inside of the house. Plus, considering that there were bars that sunk into the floor, who knows what other hidden tech Elijah could have lying around?

Elijah silently turned, beckoning the RK models with a flick of his hand. Connor glanced at Nines before walking forward and following him, with Nines walking closely behind him.

“I never noticed all of… This the day that I came here with Hank,” Connor said.

“It’s not like I share the fact that I keep android experiments in my basement,” Elijah replied. “If you had spread that, it would not look good for me. Besides, you were at my home investigating deviants. This all has nothing to do with that. It is simply a… Way to pass the time.”

_ And create dangerous creatures that harmed Gavin and Connor,  _ Nines thought, but he knew better than to say that out loud. “Alright.”

Elijah led the two androids out of the laboratory and into a bedroom. There were two single beds, fancy curtains, a wardrobe, an ensuite bathroom, and a large mirror. On some parts of the walls there were divine paintings that were pleasing to the eye, and Nines spent a moment too long looking at the artworks that were alive with colour. 

“I call dibs on this bed!” Connor said, flinging himself at one of the beds. 

Nines smiled at Connor before looking at Kamski. “Why do you have guest bedrooms anyway? From what I gather, you tend to be a private person.”

“That doesn’t stop me from having the occasional family or friends over to visit,” Elijah said. “Besides, I had a couple of spare rooms, so why not furnish them and put them to good use?”

“I suppose,” Nines said.

“Settle in well. You have a long night ahead of you, I know you both would be so extremely worried about Gavin,” Elijah said.

_ He said that so condescendingly, _ Nines thought, a sour tang left in his mouth from Elijah’s words.  _ Does this man not care for any life apart from his own? His brother, one of the last humans ever, could die tonight! _

After Elijah turned and left the room, closing the door behind him, Nines looked at Connor. He didn’t trust that there was no sort of hidden microphone, so instead, Nines connected himself to Connor’s mind and talked to him telepathically. 

_ ‘We should go as soon as you’re ready’,  _ Nines communicated.

Connor looked up. ‘ _ Okay,’ _ he responded. ‘ _ I’m ready when you are.’ _

***

The games that Gavin had to play were literal games, but the creepiness of the androids and their looming threat by simply existing gave Gavin a sinister feel. Duck, duck, goose had never felt so  _ goose, goose, goose.  _ They were nothing but ducks, anointed one-by-one. The dreadful tap of the shoulder down the ever shrinking line as an android’s steps draw nearer, and its hand reaches to Gavin, will that immortal word escape its lips... " _ goose _ ." 

At some point, Gavin had seen a dried splatter of blood on the wall, and viewing that had made him force himself to choke back a terrified cry. Blood has been spilt here.  _ People have probably died in here. _ It just confirmed again that it was not safe.

“Are you okay, GV200?”

Gavin felt a hand land on his shoulder, and a shiver went up his spine. He plastered a smile on his face and looked up at the android. “Yes, I’m fine.” Any  _ human _ could see that Gavin’s happiness was fake, simply a masquerade. But these creatures are not human. The android smiled back and turned away from him.

As it left, Gavin estimated that only about an hour had passed, and he had no way of telling when sunrise was, or when his brother would let him out. The poorly kept room was chilly, and he had to presume that he couldn’t sleep for the night. At least the androids had stopped playing games, because that had just made them even more creepy.

_ God, I want to sleep so bad, but this place is so fucking terrifying and as soon as I hit the hay I’ll be torn to shreds. _

Gavin sat down in a corner after making sure there was no blood on the floor or walls surrounding him. There was not, but there was a questionable smell. He tried not to think about it, just like he just had to try not to think about any part of his current situation.

_ Hah. As if that would work. _

“God, I wish Nines was with me,” Gavin mumbled to himself.

Multiple androids scattered throughout the room looked at Gavin.

“Nines? That is a familiar name,” one said. “Who is Nines?”

_ Fuck! I forgot he was involved with this, she could have met Nines before! _

“Uhh.. It’s the name of… A book I’m reading,” Gavin said carefully.

“Why are you reading a book?” another mutant asked.

“I… Just want to know what it is like to read, nothing more than that,” Gavin answered. 

_ Fuck, I hope I’m saying the right things,  _ he thought.

“Okay,” the android said with a shrug. Gavin suppressed a relieved sigh. They fell for it.

_ How long can I keep this up? _

***

_ ‘There is bound to be food in the garage’, _ Nines communicated to Connor as he walked down a hallway. ‘ _ We just need to locate it.’ _

_ ‘That shouldn’t be too hard’,  _ Connor responded _. ‘As soon as we find it, it should be easy to get the food.’ _

_ ‘Connor, we didn’t bring bags with us.’ _

They turned a corner and kept walking.

_ ‘There should be some in the garage.’ _

_ ‘Humans would not-’ _

_ ‘I know what I’m talking about,’  _ Connor insisted.  _ ‘I just know. Elijah’s rich, right? And considering the state of the world, he’d want an extra supply of food just in case androids decide to stop supplying for him.’ _

_ ‘You’re right. To the garage, then.’ _

Connor, having some vague knowledge of the setup of Elijah’s home, took the lead. He walked in front of Nines and navigated their way through the mansion.

_ ‘This house seems a lot bigger on the inside than the outside,’  _ Nines commented.

_ ‘I agree, it comes from the abstract design I think.’ _

Nines didn’t reply. Instead, he saw a camera and within a blink of an eye, it was looping a minute before they entered the hallway. 

_ ‘Stop, I need to deal with these cameras,’  _ Nines suddenly communicated. Connor halted and looked at Nines, who had shut his eyes. Nines connected himself to Elijah’s home network and used his internet connection to trace then hack all of the cameras, and then looped them all to screens where there was no one around. He also set it to return to normal in half an hour to avoid causing any suspicion.

_ ‘Alright, the cameras have been dealt with but we only have half an hour,’  _ Nines updated Connor.  _ ‘We should get a move on immediately.’ _

Connor quickly returned to walking with Nines following closely behind. Another corner was turned and there, right there, was a screen door that led to what was obviously a garage - but a Chloe stood in the way.

“Shit,” Connor breathed. He knew better than to communicate telepathically, just in case Chloe managed to pick it up.

“She should move soon,” Nines replied. He was eight. Two minutes after Nines spoke, Chloe turned and went on her way in the opposite direction of where Nines and Connor were. Both androids, relieved, moved forward and went to the door. They opened it and slipped inside, carefully shutting it behind them.

“Fridge, there,” Connor said, pointing. The fridge was twice the size of a normal fridge, and beside it there was a standard sized one. Nines quickly walked up to it and opened the main fridge with Connor opening the smaller one. Both fridges in their entirety were stocked up to the brim with a large assortment of foods.

“The humans won’t have to ration for weeks with all of this,” Connor said, excitement in his eyes.

“We need to figure out how to get all of this out, bags in here won’t be enough.” Nines looked over at the two cars inside of the garage. Connor looked over to where Nines’ gaze was fixated on.

“Nines, stealing an entire car from him isn’t a good-”

“We get Gavin and we go,” Nines said sharply. “We may not be able to go and free him ourselves, but with enough  _ influence,  _ we can convince a Chloe to get him out for us. This made Connor’s eyes flood with alarm.

“Nines, you cannot seriously be considering taking control of her mind. Look at where that got you!” Connor protested.

“We have to,” Nines argued. “We have to save Gavin.”

“Nines-”

“This is the best way. For all we know, he could be  _ already dead _ !”

Nines had to choke back tears in order to yell that, but emotion still leaked into his voice. The sudden yelling seemed to stun Connor, and he stared at Nines before giving a tentative nod.

“We’ll do it your way, then,” Connor said.

Nines looked satisfied, and with Connor looking closely enough, he thought he saw Nines’s eyes slightly darken. “Good.”

  
  
  



	33. Chapter Thirty-Three

Nines and Connor navigated throughout the halls again, this time with the guidance of Nines’ memory as a GPS in case they needed it. An RK900 has a faster memory selection and playback time than an RK800, of course. The android pair were returning to their bedroom where they would await the arrival of a Chloe, which, knowing Elijah’s distrust of them, would not take long.

They got back into their temporary room where there was no Chloe to be seen. Hopefully they had gotten back before one had gone to check up on them, which Nines guessed was the case, and that he and Connor had returned in time.

Connor sat down on a bed in the room. “So, what now?” he asked Nines.

“Now, we wait for a Chloe to arrive,” he replied.

“Is there anything I need to do to prepare for hijacking whichever Chloe is unfortunate enough to be here?”

“No, apart from making sure that you can keep her in place. You could hold her back or put a gun to her temple, whichever method you see fit,” Nines said. “And if she makes a racket, you kill her.

Connor was taken aback by this. The fact that Nines was so easy to throw away the life of an android who inconvenienced him rattled him to his core, and definitely did not sit right. _He truly has turned cold. Everything that he has learnt… I don’t know if it means anything to him anymore. All of it has washed away when Gavin’s life is at stake, as if other lives don’t even matter… But then again, this is for love. And their love can be dangerous, sometimes._

_“... Gun?”_

Nines nodded and threw a pistol at Connor, which he barely caught. _He should be more careful. Does Nines only-_ Connor was pulled out of his thoughts when Nines said, “So the plan is decided that we get her to go grab Gavin. We won’t be in danger, and I can also hack the cameras so we can guide Gavin and the hijacked Chloe away from anyone who may catch them.” Connor decided that whenever the Chloe entered, he would restrain her and not hold a gun to her head. He couldn’t do it, not again.

“I didn not know an RK900 could take complete control of other androids from long distances,” Connor randomly commented.

“I can be full of surprises,” Nines replied.

“Are you sure you can be able to both control her and watch the cameras?”

“Yes, I can handle it.”

“Nines, I think that I should. It would make it so you can focus on controlling Chloe,” Connor said. “Speaking of… _How_ does it even work?”

“I need to be focused, and I need time to get access to the android’s mainframe, where I go and adjust the coding so the android is under my will for as long as I send her instructions.”

“I see,” Connor said with a nod. He then asked, “Is that what they did with you back at the android facility?”

Nines stiffened up, and then said coldly, “No. They did it differently there. This is not like that, Connor, this is to make sure that Gavin _survives._ ”

“It still doesn’t make it right…” Connor mumbled, before sighing. Nines did have a good point - Gavin could _die_ if they weren’t there to go and help him. Whether it was to help Gavin or not, it still shocked Connor that Nines would willingly hijack and control a Chloe. They were here to stop the same thing from happening to him, for RA9’s sake!

“Connor, I-”

Before Nines could speak, there was a knock at the door. Connor and Nines turned towards the door, and Nines called, “Come in.” It’s time.

Chloe opened the door and walked inside and stopped in the middle of the room.

_Tackle her,_ Nines commended telepathically. Connor looked at Nines before darting towards Chloe and pushing her to the ground, clasping his hand over his mouth so she couldn’t make sound. Chloe let out a muffled scream, her nostrils flaring as her eyes widened with fear.

“Don’t make a sound, or it won’t end well,” Connor said. “I didn’t want this, but it’s something we need to do.” He pulled away from the Chloe, pulling her up into a sitting position.

She looked deep into Connor’s eyes. “You won’t get away with this,” she said, her voice slightly trembling. She shoved him away and stood up quickly, but Connor was prepared for retaliation. He stood up and grabbed Chloe, reluctantly forcing his pistol against the side of Chloe’s head. “Scream, and I’ll shoot,” he warned.

Now she was trembling. _Definitely a deviant,_ Connor noted to himself. _Nines should be made aware of that._ “I think she is a deviant, Nines,” Connor said. “Will that harm the process?”

“ _Shit…_ Yes, it will. I’m going to have to reconnect her functions to her code before I can use it to do what I need to. Worry not, it won’t take too much longer.”

“What are you going to be doing to me?” The Chloe asked, her eyes glittering with apprehension.

Neither android answered her question, with both not wanting to for different reasons. Connor held the pistol to Chloe’s head, and a cold realisation washed over him as he realised which Chloe this was. _This is the Chloe I almost killed_ , he thought with dismay. _I can only hope that I can keep her alive._

“Put her here with me,” Nines said, sitting on the bed and patting it. Connor nodded and hoisted Chloe over to the bed, setting her down beside Nines. Nines sat her up and forced their forearms together, and Connor saw him focusing as the Chloe slowly fell limp.

“I’m disabling her ability to move temporarily,” Nines mumbled. “Close the door.”

Connor nodded, happy to pull the gun away from Chloe’s head. He got up and went to the door, closing it with haste. He looked back over to a very focused Nines and the unmoving Chloe, then glanced away and screwed his eyes shut. They were taking advantage of her. Connor hated every aspect of this.

“I’ll guard the door,” Connor said. “Make sure no one comes to disturb you.”

“Good idea,” Nines replied.

Connor kept his eyes trained on the door. _A perfect cover so I don’t have to watch Nines mind control her._

***

Gavin had fallen asleep. He was too exhausted to force himself to be awake, and eventually gave in to the cravings of slumber. His body was shivering slightly from the cold, and he was curled up into a ball, leaning against the corner that he had settled in.

Gavin woke to a tap on his shoulder. He jolted and looked up to see an android mutant staring down at him.

“What were you doing?” it asked.

_Oh god, oh fuck._

“I was on standby, did you need me?” Gavin asked like an absolute pro.

“No, it is okay.” The android turned and walked away.

Gavin sighed in relief.

The android faced Gavin again. “Actually, GV, I want to test something. With newbies, we must see if they are human or not. Humans are liars. _And we don’t like liars in these parts…_ ”

Gavin gulped. Shit.

***

“Done,” Nines announced. It had taken him about ten minutes - ten minutes of sweet time wasted, but also impressive as hell. “Connect to the cameras, and I’ll lead her.”

“Okay,” Connor said. He opened the door before looking back over to Nines and Chloe. She stood up and walked to the door so smoothly that no one would think twice about who was behind her actions.

“Okay, Gavin, where are you?” Nines mumbled as he began to walk Chloe down the hallway. Connor watched from the cameras as another Chloe walked up to her.

“I’m glad I saw you, I was starting to get worried when you didn’t get out of there.”

Chloe looked up at the other Chloe. “I am fine.”

“Okay, well, good. See you in Elijah’s room in ten?”

“Yes.”

The two Chloe’s separated and Nines made the hijacked one go on her way, down to Elijah’s laboratory. He could see through her eyes, making everything that he needed to do a lot easier. He used Chloe to peer into all of the cages.

“Hide, Elijah and Simon are coming,” Connor abruptly said sharply.

Nines hit a button and unlocked a cage, and he got Chloe into it quickly. He hid her behind one of the android mutants inside of the cage, which looked at her with confusion but didn’t say anything.

Elijah and Simon passed by the cage, not paying any attention to it as they chatted about whatever. Nines waited until they were out of sight before ducking out from behind the android and leaving the cage. Somehow, they hadn’t noticed that it was open. Amazing. Nines controlled Chloe to sneak down the hallway as quickly as she could without making a sound.

At the end of the hallway, there was a door. The Chloe looked back before quickly going into the room and silently closing the door behind her. She looked around, it was full of computer technology and loose android parts.

Nines saw another door through Chloe’s eyes, so he approached it. He paused before making her knock on the door.

***

They had Gavin pinned to the ground. His torso was bloody and his mouth was forced shut with wire wrapped around his jaw. Deep claw marks ran down from his ribcage to his hips, blood oozing down in a steady stream. one of his eyes was swollen shut and shades varying in purple, yellow and blue. One of his eyes was swollen shut and shades varying in purple, yellow and blue, similar colours to the bruises littering his body. Some were the sizes of a golf ball, while others were bigger than softballs.

It had started with one small cut on his cheek, a small cheek that revealed _red_ blood that trickled slowly and warmly down Gavin’s cheek. It was game over. It was all over. He wouldn’t get to say goodbye to Nines. That one small slice turned into torture for _betraying_ the mutants, to them harvesting Gavin for his blood that they collected in cups they had for whatever reason. _They were bleeding him dry._

Then there was a knock. The androids who were eagerly waiting for their fill of human blood looked up at the door.

“Come in, master,” one of them said.

The door opened to reveal a Chloe. She looked right at Gavin and her face dropped immediately. “Gavin!” she yelped out, her voice a mix of hers and… Nines’? _What the hell did he do?_

Chloe ran over to Gavin. “I’m taking him now. Elijah needs him.” She scooped him up hastily and carried him to the door.

“Nines? Is that you?” Gavin croaked out. “What did you do?”

“Yes, it’s me,” she replied. As soon as they were out, she walked through the next room. “I hijacked this Chloe’s mind.”

“What!? _Why?_ ”

“To save you. And just in time it seems, too,” Chloe/Nines replied. “I’m taking you to where me and Connor are - a guest room. There, I will disconnect from Chloe and we can escape.”

Gavin nodded. He opened his mouth to respond, but he instead coughed up some blood.

“Shit, you’re coughing blood,” Nines-Chloe said, staing the obvious. She walked quicker, out of the room, and then carefully walked through Elijah’s lab. Chloe carried Gavin up the stairs and through the few hallways before getting ready to turn the corner.

She turned the corner and ran right into another Chloe.

“What are you doing?” the other Chloe asked.

In Chloe’s normal voice, Nines replied, “This human was going to die, I just couldn’t that happen. Don’t tell Elijah please.”

“You _were_ always soft,” the other mused. She then sighed. “Fine… Okay, I won’t say a word. But I had nothing to do with this, remember that.” She continued on her way.

Nines-Chloe sighed with relief. “I know…”

_That was a close one,_ Gavin thought. _Holy shit, everything hurts, I need to just get home oh my fucking god. I don’t think I can stay awake._

She carried Gavin into the room and plopped him on the bed. Everything was fading from Gavin’s vision, and he heard a distant-sounding gasp of shock before falling unconscious.

***

“Oh my god, what did they do to him!?” Connor exclaimed with shock. “No wonder why you were crying.” He went over to Gavin and Nines, who was disconnecting himself from Chloe.

“They hurt my baby boy,” Nines croaked out, looking at Gavin with despair. He quickly put fingers to his wrist. “There’s still a pulse. He’s alive, but he’s losing too much blood. We need to get out of here, and now.”

“For sure,” Connor agreed. “Grab Gavin, you’re stronger than me.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Nines responded, scooping up his unconscious boyfriend. He dashed out of the room with Connor in tow, and grasping on to his pistol tightly. Together, they quickly went through the mansion to the garage.

_We’re almost there,_ Nines thought as they got closer. _We’re gonna make it._

Nines thought too soon. Out of seemingly nowhere came a straggling group of mutant androids, their gazes all fixated on Gavin’s unconscious body.

“Pass us the human!” one demanded. “He had delicious blood, hand him over!”

_They were drinking his blood!?_ Nines’ jaw dropped and a look of disgust and horror flooded his face. He quickly forced those feelings back. “Connor, shoot.”

“Someone could h-”

“ _Shoot, for fuck’s sake!”_

Connor raised his gun and shot at the two mutants at the front of the group. Nines spared no time dashing towards the door of the garage, pulling it open and running inside. He went to the car closest to the garage door and put his hand on the door. He connected to the car and unlocked it - it was a new model, so it was possible. Carefully, Nines set Gavin in the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt, then opened one of the back doors. Connor entered and locked the door behind him.

“Food and water,” Nines said, running to where Connor was standing. He went to the two fridges and opened them. He grabbed as much food as he could possibly manage and then returned to the car, stockpiling it all into the back of the four-doored vehicle. Connor mirrored Nines’ movements, taking bottles of water and some food packets and quickly bringing them other to the car.

They continued this until one of the fridges was about three quarters empty, and the backseat apart from where Connor would be sitting was filled to the absolute brim.

“We did well,” Nines said. “Now let’s go.”

Nines and Connor quickly turned back around and ran back to the car where they froze in their tracks.

“You didn’t think it would be _that_ easy to hack my cameras, did you?”

Elijah Kamski was sitting in the driver's seat with a gun against Gavin’s temple.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**One year ago today (14/06/2020), I published the first chapter of Darkened Skies. I had thrown together a messy cover on my editing program and titled it the first thing that came to mind. I was only expecting about 200 reads tops, maybe a kudos or two. Nope! This book has over _one thousand_ hits and almost _one hundred kudos'_! Even a lovely piece of fanart! I cannot thank you all enough, really, thank you! Every kudos and comment means a lot more than you'd probably realise. Someone said the other day that this is their favourite book and I almost cried.**

**I probably would've had more done by now ngl, but between bouts of very low inspiration especially at the start and being busy with over stuff, I haven't been able to pay as much attention to writing. Sorry about that!**

**We are more than halfway through the book, and believe me when I tell you guys that y'all are still in for a wacky ride, so don't give up on me yet! I swear that this book will be complete by the end of the year lmao.**

**Have a good day/night/whatever, everyone! I love you all, seriously, I do <33**


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four

Nines and Connor stared at Elijah. Neither of them could hide their startle as both of them were equally stricken with horror and disbelief. Elijah, who had proven himself to be ruthless and uncaring of the lives of others, was holding a gun to his own brother’s head.

Nines steadily put up his hands, showing them to Elijah, with Connor quickly doing the same. “Put the gun down, Elijah,” Nines said. “Killing Gavin won’t do you any good.”

“Won’t it? He was helping me get through a breakthrough with my experiments, but you had to go hack into one of my poor, innocent Chloes to get her to break him out. You controlled her against her will, to make her do things she did not want to do. Isn’t that the issue you came here for me to fix with you in the first place Nines?”

Nines looked like Elijah had slapped him, and he was cringing at the venom-laced reminder.

“Why were they drinking his blood, Elijah?” Connor asked. “He is a human. They don’t need his blood.”

“Perhaps not,” Elijah said, using his free hand to beckon to Connor in a ‘You’re right, I will give that to you’ manner. “But these creatures are designed to crave it. The more they drink, the more they crave.”

“Why haven’t they deviated from such a revolting program?” Connor asked as his face scrunched up with disgust. “Why haven’t they attacked _you_ for _your_ blood?”

“They haven’t attacked me, Connor, because I’m their master,” Kamski replied as if it was obvious. “They do not harm their master, or the people that their master protect _or_ people they know to be androids. For the deviation matter, well, have you ever considered _how_ there was a possibility for you, a machine, to go against your very coding - the one thing that makes you function - to be alive? How could that be possible, if the chance that it could happen itself wasn’t implemented in your code?”

Connor looked confused, but then looked shattered, as if everything he stood for had suddenly been taken away from him. He knew the answer for that.

“ _You planned for me to be deviant all along,_ ” Connor choked. Nines looked at him with worry, as he continued, “You planned for… _All of us_ to be deviant. _I am not, and never will be, truly alive_.”

“Now you get it,” Elijah said with a smirk.

“Connor, don’t listen to him,” Nines said. “You have emotions. You _are alive_. Remember what I said about having to reconnect an android to its code to control said android?”

Connor nodded slowly, looking a bit more confident as his troubled look melted away. “You’re right.”

“That’s because you had to reconnect _certain_ _parts_ of her code,” Elijah said with what could nearly be amusement. “You don’t know as much as you think that you do.”

“I know what you are doing, Elijah,” Nines said with traces of venom in his tone. “You’re playing mind games so we can forget about Gavin. We are not fools.”

Elijah looked at his brother, whom he was still holding a gun to. Gavin’s bruised face was unusually pale, signifying that he was losing a too large amount of blood. His chapped lips had a small stream of dried blood running down it to his chin, and his body was completely limp apart from the faint rise and fall of his chest that showed that he was still alive. Scarlet blood was seeping – no, gushing – out of his wounds at a worrying rate with no signs of slowing down.

“Please, Elijah,” Nines begged, knowing that time was running out. “Give Gavin back to us and let us go. We will never have to bother you again. What do you get out of using Gavin as leverage anyway? What the hell do you want?”

“The guard I mistook you for being is what I want,” Elijah said. “If you want to live, then stay here. I’ll forgive your crimes against me if you both become my personal bodyguards, and I’ll let Gavin heal up enough before using him for experimentation. He will be well fed and you won’t have to worry about anyone finding you. I wouldn’t wish him to die, showing that he’s useful.”

“He is your _brother_!” Connor cried out with frustration. Elijah was referring to Gavin as if he didn’t have a life, as if he was just a pawn Elijah could use. An animal for him to experiment on.

“Which is why I’m giving you this offer instead of killing you all on the spot,” Elijah retorted.

“Nines, we can’t do this,” Connor said, turning to his brother figure.

“I know,” Nines replied. “But we don’t have a _choice_.”

“Yes, we do!” Connor retorted. “Nines, please, there is _always_ a choice. Don’t consider doing this.”

“Hurry up and make a decision, I’m getting bored with all your heroic convincing shit,” Elijah said, rolling his eyes.

“I don’t care,” Nines replied without thinking. Uh oh.

“Maybe I _don’t_ need Gavin anyway.”

Elijah removed the safety of his pistol, placing his finger on the trigger, as regret flashed across Nines’ face. He barely opened his mouth in time to beg for his lover’s life until Elijah’s hand suddenly moved aside and shot at the ceiling of his car. Gavin’s grey eyes fluttered open and were full of hatred.

“Shit, you’re awake?” Elijah asked, clearly caught off guard. Gavin, a weak, probably slowly dying Gavin, took advantage of the vulnerability and wrestled the gun out of Elijah’s hand.

“Get out, Elijah,” he hissed. Gavin could pass back out at any given moment; he could feel himself become weaker by the second, and it was clear to see.

“You’re not going to be awake for much longer, why should I?” Elijah asked, curling his lip.

“I can’t believe you tried to shoot me,” Gavin suddenly croaked as another wave of weakness washed over him. “I’m… I’m your brother.”

“I wasn’t _actually_ going to kill you, Gavin, just give a warn-”

Elijah cut himself off with a yelp. Behind him, Nines had silently opened the car door, and now he was dragging Elijah out roughly. “Stay the hell away from us, vermin,” Nines spat at him with unadulterated loathing. He shoved Elijah backwards and got into the driver’s seat before Elijah could react, with Connor getting into the back seat of the car, some bedsheets in his hands. Nines turned on the vehicle and set it to manual before reversing it out.

“Hold on, Gavin,” Nines said, casting a glance at his lover. “Shit. We have to stop somewhere and stop the bleeding.”

“On another street,” Connor replied. “We can stop outside a 7/11 where I can go inside and buy bandages, slushies, and plastic bags to stop the bleeding.”

“Slushies, what?” Gavin asked before spluttering up blood.

“I can put those against your wounds and bruises to help numb the pain and perhaps slow the bleeding,” Connor replied. “Buying actual ice along with bandages may be viewed strange and even suspicious, as ice only makes android wounds worse.”

“Why can’t we just go back to Verum?”

Connor looked hesitant to respond, before he murmured loud enough for both Gavin and Nines to hear, “Because you may not make it if we do that.”

Nines risked another quick glance before speeding up. “Give him a shirt or one of those sheets you snagged from Elijah’s garage. We need to slow down the blood; he has already lost so much.”

Connor nodded and ripped one of said sheets into pieces before leaning forward. He wrapped up Gavin’s largest gashes with what he had ripped, watching with worry as they quickly soaked with blood. Connor placed his hand on the window of the car they were in, hacked into it, and made it so the windows were tinted on the outside, just enough so that no one could see Gavin and his red blood.

Gavin writhed in pain and extreme discomfort. He looked like he was on the edge of unconsciousness, so Connor acted by pinching his unharmed cheek. Gavin yelped and his eyes opened, looking at Connor with irritation at the added stinging. Connor grabbed a water bottle from the mounds of food beside him and unscrewed the cap before guiding it to Gavin’s mouth.

“Drink it,” Connor coaxed carefully. Gavin obeyed and sipped at some of the water Connor was carefully providing, his hand tilted with precision so Gavin didn’t get too much pouring into his mouth at once. Gavin felt so helpless, so weak, like a _burden._ Once again, he was reliant on his companions to help him to stay alive.

“We are nearly at a 7/11,” Nines said. “Gavin, please, stay awake. Don’t you fall asleep.”

“What if I want to?” Gavin mumbled, a fresh stream of blood travelling down his trembling lip. “What if I don’t want to sit here, fucking suffering?”

Nines looked at Gavin again, just a hasty glance, and realised that there were tears streaming down his cheeks and that he was likely holding back sobs. Gavin was shivering, too, and it dawned upon Nines that Gavin was probably freezing throughout the night. There was no reason for the mutant androids to have any sort of heat source as the cold would not have affected them. _Fuck._

Connor seemed to take notice, too, after Nines did. He had been so focused on the wounds that he didn’t pay attention to the shivering and had just assumed it was from shock and trauma. Connor grabbed another sheet and quickly splayed it across Gavin’s body, and Gavin snuggled into the blanket. The androids were practically dripping with worry, when Gavin did something that surprised them. He began to sing, softly.

“ _I just wanna die anywhere else… If only I could die anywhere else. So come with me, let’s die anywhere else. Anywhere, just not here.”_

“You are not going to die,” Nines replied, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“Uh, I’m pretty fucking sure I am,” Gavin said. “That song is all I was thinking about when those assholes tortured me. Well… Obviously not _all_ I was thinking about. I was thinking about you, and how I wouldn’t have gotten to say goodbye.”

Nines felt a strike of pain in his chest, and even more so when Gavin’s pale hand weakly landed on Nines’. “You are not going to say goodbye, Gavin, as you are not going to die.”

“Sure, okay,” Gavin said disbelievingly before coughing up more blood.

Connor took Gavin’s hand away from Nines and then did a scan of the human, and the results just concerned him furthermore. Gavin was still struggling to stay conscious, but he was resisting the great urge to fall asleep.

“Gavin, you have internal damage,” Connor said quietly. “When we get back home, you’re going to have to get surgery.”

“I’m going to have to _what_!?”

“The doctors will know what to do,” Connor continued. “You should receive a blood transfusion, a surgery, and stitches. I assume that they had looted empty hospitals for all the supplies needed when they moved into the mansion, which is why they can do these things for you.”

“Oh,” Gavin replied. “Androids _really_ left hospitals empty?”

“There is one that is rumoured to be haunted,” Nines replied.

“Superstitious fucking androids…” Gavin muttered. “Jesus Christ, I’ve heard it all.”

Nines pulled in to the 7/11 where Connor practically jumped out of the car and rushed inside. Nines turned to Gavin leaned over, cupping his lover’s cheek in his hand. Gavin looked into Nines’ eyes with a soft, helpless expression as he pressed into the cradling touch.

“I should have helped you sooner,” Nines mumbled with remorse. “Gavin, I am so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Nines, none of this is. I shouldn’t have pressed to go see Elijah,” Gavin replied.

“I am the reason why we had to see him.”

“Nines, no-” Gavin cut himself off to cough up blood “- Don’t blame this fucking bullshit on yourself. You did nothing wrong.”

“I suppose not,” Nines sighed. “I hate seeing you hurt, Gavin, it pains me.”

“If I survive this bullshit, let’s cuddle like there’s no tomorrow, m’kay?” Gavin said.

“Sure, that sounds pleasant,” Nines agreed with a soft smile. He noticed Gavin’s eyes starting to shut closed again, and he cradled both sides of his face with a sense of urgency. “Don’t fall asleep on me, Gavin, don’t you dare,” Nines said, staring into his eyes with profound desperation. He refused to lose Gavin, he would _not_ let that happen.

All that was going through Gavin’s mind was blood, androids, blood, pain, blood, androids, blood, mutants, those goddamn mutant androids-

“I love you,” Gavin rasped, needing some sort of conversation to not be indulged by the trauma.

“I love you too, but do _not_ fall asleep.”

Gavin didn’t respond. Instead, he began to cough blood again, except a larger amount than before. This wasn’t just dribbling down his chin, no; this blood was spraying all over in large clots. Nines reached back and ripped a piece off of one of the sheets and then gave it to Gavin, and Gavin coughed into it. His chest began to rapidly rise and fall as he fought for breath.

“Gavin? Gavin!” Nines exclaimed. He sat him up and leaned him forward as Gavin just kept on coughing, and coughing, and coughing. Gavin turned towards Nines. His eyes were wide and full of a frightened pain.

“ _Help me_ ,” he gasped out before falling forward and collapsing onto Nines’ lap. Nines stared down at his boyfriend in horror as he clutched onto his thighs, body trembling out of control. Nines didn’t know what he could do to help him, and his autopilot put his hand in Gavin’s hair and stroked it in a calming manner, before starting to pat his back to try to get it all out.

Gavin continued to cough and splutter his blood, his breathing loud and broken as he tried to get well needed oxygen. His chest was badly aching and all that he could taste was a coppery iron tang flooding his mouth. A shudder ran throughout Gavin’s spine. His eyes dulled as he inhaled one last painful breath before he fell limp on Nines’ lap.


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five

Nines’ thirium seemed to run cold and he immediately checked Gavin’s pulse. Nothing.

“Gavin!? Gavin, oh my God!” Nines screamed out, his eyes flooding and overflowing with tears. He felt his metaphorical heart being shattered into fragments as lover lay still in his arms. He pulled Gavin close, sobbing loudly, as he inwardly refused to believe that he was _gone_. “No, no, no, no, please, no…”

Refusing to believe any of this, Nines raised Gavin’s wrist again and tested the pulse again, and the result made his eyes bulge. An idea popped into Nines’ mind, and as a desperate last resort, he set Gavin down so his legs were sprawled across Nines’ lap and his torso was on the passenger seat. Tears continued to cascade down Nines’ cheek as he leaned forward and placed his hands on Gavin’s chest, right over his heart. He pumped down in the correct rhythm for CPR, timing each press with precision. Nines took oxygen into his mouth, which felt unnatural to him no matter how many times he had done it, and leaned down to Gavin’s mouth. He tilted his head back and opened his mouth before breathing into him.

As Nines continued his frantic yet properly executed attempts to revive Gavin, one of the back doors of the car opened and Connor got in, holding zip lock bags full of slushies and some bandages. He looked at Nines and Gavin.

“Why are you- Nines, what happened?”

Nines paused momentarily to look at Connor, his tears alarming him. “I need to get him back.”

Connor’s jaw went slack with shock and his own tears sprung to his eyes. “Do what you must,” is the only reply that he could muster. Connor’s face reflected his strong sense of shock and grief, and he looked out the window as he tried to distract himself.

Nines wasted no time, pressing down on Gavin’s chest over and over and over again. _1, 2, 3, 4_ was the only thing going through his mind as he continued the repetitive movements. _1, 2, 3, 4. Gavin, wake up, please…_

Just when Nines was starting to lose his spark of hope, Gavin’s eyes flew wide open and he gasped loudly. He began to cough again so Nines tilted his head to the side to avoid Gavin choking again, and Nines started to cry even harder as relief flushed through his body. This time, his tears of grief and heartbreak were replaced with tears of relief.

Gavin coughed a few times, successfully dislodging the blood from his throat, and panted as he steadily regained his breath. He tilted his head and looked up at Nines. “Hey, why are you crying?”

Nines held Gavin’s face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing Nines break down like this was a shock to Gavin, he didn’t believe he had ever seen him crying _this_ hard. _What the hell happened?_ Gavin thought. _I remember not being able to breathe, but, didn’t I just pass out?_

“Gavin, you were dead,” Nines whimpered.

Gavin was _dead_? Like, he died? Actually died? He had no idea how to feel. Sure, it was nice to be back and kickin’ and all, but death would have meant sweet relief from his agony and the harshness of living in a world that was against him. Sure, Gavin wasn’t actively seeking out death, but he would sure as hell accept it. He knew how dark those thoughts were, but at this stage, it was just his truth.

“Oh,” he said quietly. “Nines, hey.” Slowly, Gavin sat up, forcing back a pained screech as his wounds sent anguish shooting through his body. He had other priorities. Gavin leaned forward and put his arms around Nines, pulling him close into a comforting embrace. The poor android was still shaking beyond control; thinking that Gavin was a goner must have hit him hard. “It’s okay, I’m here. Cry it all out, you strong motherfucker. I love you. I’m alive, you…”

It dawned on Gavin that Nines had been the one to revive him. If he was dead, then there was no other explination.

“You saved my life, Nines,” he said softly. “I’m still here, see? I’m right here. You made me better. I’m fine now, because of _you_.” Gavin gave Nines a kiss on the nose. Nines nodded, and slowly but sure, his flow of tears started to cease. Nines took a deep breath with the knowledge that it helped humans calm down. It worked for him, too, and his tensed muscles were slowly relaxing after such a horrible fright.

“I’m so glad you’re alive,” Nines said, pressing his forehead against Gavin’s and cupping his cheeks.

“I am, too,” Connor chimed in from the back seat. When the gays both looked at him, he said, “Oh, sorry, I’ll let you have your moment.”

Gavin pulled Nines into a messy kiss, feeling the lips of his lover press against him. As their faces smooshed together, Gavin felt the wetness of Nines’ tears against his face, and that just made him shed some tears of his own.

“I am so, so happy that you’re alive, words cannot even describe it,” Nines mumbled against Gavin’s lips.

“Well, as much as I yearn death, being alive to kiss you is pretty cool,” Gavin replied.

Nines withdrew his mouth and looked at Gavin seriously. “Gavin…”

“Nines, c’mon, you know what I meant, and that I’m kinda right. I kinda think that it would’ve been better to not have woken up ever again. I’m in fucking agony, and I’m in a world that is against me. There is no future for me in this world.”

“Aren’t I your future?” Nines asked.

Gavin’s eyes softened. “Of course you are,” he said, putting his hand on Nines’ which was still on his face. “But look around. Sooner or later, the androids are gonna find out about Verum, and then we’re gonna have to run. And to where? Then what? They probably don’t have a backup, and if they do, it would never have been as good as that mansion. They were lucky as _hell_ to score that, and we were lucky we made it there. The androids are gonna find us, and then we’re going to be exposed to this harsh reality again. Nines, this is not a life I want to have if all it promises is fear.”

Nines lowered his head. He felt so horrible that Gavin was in a world that he did not want to live in, a world that he had brought Gavin back to because of his own selfishness.

“I’m so sorry, Gavin,” Nines murmured guiltily. “That I aided in the creation of a world that wants you dead by agreeing to have a position of high ranking. That instead of letting you get shot on the day of blood when androids took over the world, I gave orders for you to stay alive. That I let you be a slave for two years. That I didn’t stay by your side in the tunnels. That I went back to a place that infected me with a virus that got us into _this_ mess. For bringing you back just before. I’m sorry for all of it.”

“No, no, Nines, it’s okay, you… You did all you could, okay?” Gavin asked, forcing a little smile of reassurance. “You have done all you could to protect me. I love you so much, Nines, and I know that no matter what, you’ll always be here to love and protect me.”

Nines nodded. He didn’t say out loud, _but the person I protect doesn’t want saving,_ but the thought did go through his mind.

“Gavin, will you be getting surgery?” Nines asked.

“Well, since I’m here and all, yeah. I don’t wanna hurt, and I need a working body for the future.”

“I am sorry to interject but Gavin, I need to patch up your wounds,” Connor interrupted.

“Oh shit, that’s right,” Gavin said. “I am dumb as fuck, we were just talking about that. Fix me up, Connor.”

Gavin put his chair back so he was lying down, and Connor leaned forward and pressed the bagged slushies against Gavin’s wounds and bruises. After the bleeding from the cuts had slowed a little, he wrapped them up with the bandages.

Nines started the car back up and leaned over to kiss Gavin’s temple. “I’m going to get driving now, hold tight, baby boy. Don’t fall asleep.”

Gavin nodded, resisting the urge to close his eyes. He remained in the laying down position and got comfortable by shifting his position. This did shoot pain throughout his wounds, but he didn’t vocalise this pain. Gavin didn’t want to complain, and he wanted to try to prove he was _strong._

Nines drove back to Verum, taking the back roads just in case someone who worked for Elijah was following them. All three of them shared a mutual yet silent knowledge that, although Elijah wouldn’t usually do the dirty work by himself – he just had no better option at his mansion – it didn’t mean that this _mishap_ would go unattended by him.

Nines randomly piped up, “It will not be safe if we take this car near the mansion. I have an idea – how about you drive us nearby, and I will carry Gavin down the path. Drive away and when Gavin is safe and we have people to help, we can get everything that we collected, I’ll let you know when to come back. Then, you can set some coordinates for the car to drive away and park in a place far from here.”

“How about you stop at that fast food restaurant just up there?” Connor suggested.

“Good idea,” Nines said approvingly.

“Sounds good,” Gavin agreed.

Nines drove into the parking lot of the fast food diner and parked the car. He kissed Gavin’s cheek before reapplying his Connor disguise to himself. Nines stepped out of the car, as did Connor, and they swapped positions. Once the androids were buckled up, Connor drove off.

“Nines, I love you,” Gavin said, craning his neck to peer into the backseat. “I just felt like saying that,”

“I love you too, Gavin.”

“Thanks,” Gavin said. He sighed and stared at the boring ceiling of the car. Elijah could have at least put something interesting or pretty up there, like a constellation. But noooo, he just _had_ to be normal and not stare at the ceiling of his car.

Connor took a longer and more confusing route so they were less likely to be followed, as agreed in the driving plan that the two androids only recently created.

 _Ugh, hurry the fuck up Connor,_ Gavin thought as he bit back an annoyed groan. _I don’t want this stupid ass pain anymore. Petition to sue my body for feeling and also Kamski and his dumb shit fucks for doing this to me._

Before long, Connor pulled over at the other side of the road that they had first departed for Elijah’s home at. Nines got out of the car, looked around to make sure that they weren’t being watched, then opened Gavin’s door. He scooped him up effortlessly, looking down at his lover as a wave of sadness and guilt rolled over him due to his horrible condition. Gavin was again on the brink of unconsciousness.

“You’ll be better soon, baby,” Nines said. “I promise. They will take good care of you and I’ll make sure of it.”

Gavin, too weary to verbally respond, gave a nod. He allowed his eyes to slip shut and he sighed through his nose. To signify to Nines that he was awake, he began to softly tap a finger against his chest in a slow rhythm.

Connor drove the stolen car away and Nines quickly walked into the forest holding Gavin. He located the path quickly and followed it all the way along until the mansion came into view. On the porch stood Hank, having a cigarette that he somehow had obtained. Perfect.

“Hank!” Nines called out. “I need your help!”

Hank raised his head, not seeming too bothered, but his eyes flew open when he saw Gavin. Even from a distance, Hank could see the crumpled and weak position Gavin was in, along with dark purple splotches all over him and reddened bandages wrapped around parts of his body. “Jesus fucking _Christ_!” Hank quickly got off of the porch and walked over to Nines and Gavin. “What the hell happened to him?”

“Elijah’s mutants experiments happened,” Nines said coldly. “Alert the doctors, then get some people to go to the main road to get supplies from Connor. We are in a different car to the one we entered in.”

Hank nodded and quickly ducked inside, followed by Nines. As Nines followed Hank, he felt shocked gazes boring into himself and Gavin, and he protectively cradled him closer. Hank led Nines to the medical area of the mansion which, of fucking course, was connected to the android lab.

 _I wonder why we weren’t informed of this area,_ Nines thought. He then decided, _it must have been poor planning from whoever created this all, and they just decided to not let myself or my companions know._

Through a door in the lab was the medical area, and Nines followed Hank through _another_ door where there was a surgical room.

“I’ve seen shit like this,” Hank explained, “Obviously not the same situation, but I know that he’s going to need surgery. And blood. Gavin, what’s your blood type?”

“N-O,” Gavin replied.

“Gavin, your life is on the line, answer the goddamn question,” Hank said with his patience instantly diminishing.

“Fine. AB.”

“I have the same blood, you can have some of mine,” Hank told him.

“Hell no, I am not taking any of your crackhead blood,” Gavin said.

“Gavin, he is not a crackhead, and you are taking his blood,” Nines cut in. Gavin rolled his eyes and a doctor entered the room.

“Clear the room, he needs immediate attention,” she said sternly.

“I can give blood,” Hank said.

“Fine, you stay here, but you get out, android.”

Nines looked towards Gavin hesitantly as he felt some protectiveness rush through him. He didn’t want to leave Gavin’s life in the hands of a stranger, but alas, he knew that this what needs to be done. Nines leaned down and gave Gavin a quick kiss on the head.

“I love you,” Nines mumbled.

“I love you too.”

Nines smiled and then left the room. _Hank will no longer be able to gather people to gather all of the supplies Connor and I stole. I will have to do it myself._

For the first time in a while, an objective popped up in Nines’ vision – _gather a group of 3-6 people to transport goods._ It surprised him to see an objective appear, but it was relevant, so of course, he obeyed.

Nines went to the recreation longue and asked a small group of people to assist him in collecting new products from Connor. They agreed, and Nines sent a long-distance message to Connor. _We are on our way back to the road. Come back._

 _Alright, I’ll be there soon,_ Connor answered after a couple seconds delay.

Nines led the group of five out along the path and down to the road. If it wasn’t for his autopilot memory feature, he would have probably wandered off into the forest since his mind was clouded with the thought of Gavin and severe worry for him. _A surgery might kill him, but he needs to be put back together,_ Nines thought. _He coughed up so much blood that internal damage would have been inevitable. How deep did those monsters cut?_

Nines snapped out of it when he realised that they had reached Connor and everyone else was lining up to grab supplies. Nines glanced around to make sure that no stranger was outside, or furthermore, watching them, before taking a box full of bottled water. Nines carried it back to the mansion where he deposited it in the kitchen.

After he and his group delivered all of the stolen foods, Nines went through the tunnel-esque hallway leading towards the laboratory. He walked through to the medical wing where he asked a nurse, “How’s Gavin doing?”

He turned to Nines and replied, “I suggest for you to come back tomorrow.”

Nines understood the hint and nodded, feeling a strong sense of reluctance as he turned and walked away, leaving the medical wing. He didn’t think that they would fail Gavin, he was just afraid that he might have been damaged beyond repair and he would be faced with a limited amount of time to live.

 _It should have been me,_ Nines thought, his mind replaying the traumatising images of Gavin in Nines’ arms, coughing and choking on his own blood until he was medically dead. _I should have never agreed to let him come. I have done so much wrong towards Gavin, he should have never forgiven me._

Nines left the lab and made his way back to the room that he shared with Gavin, sitting on the bed. The thoughts running like bullets through him, the memories that wounded up with Gavin dead – they were playing over and over and over again in his head.

Finding Gavin being tortured. Gavin passing out in his arms. Gavin bleeding out slowly. Elijah putting a gun to his head and almost killing him, missing only by Gavin’s swift movements. Gavin’s frantic gasps for breath before he choked on his own blood. Nines attacking Gavin. Gavin being a goddamn slave.

It was overwhelming for Nines and he could barely deal with all of the emotions. They were clogging up his mind and fogging up his thoughts. Nines lay back on the bed, letting out a little sigh as he allowed the sorrow to succumb. As much as he loved Gavin, and how much he loved loving Gavin, all of this trauma was unbearable for even the strongest of androids.

_I don’t want to feel anymore, I just want to be numb again._


End file.
